# Have Performance Badges Lost Their Meaning?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/between-two-pumps-7795627/have-performance-badges-lost-their-meaning
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/between-two-pumps-7795627/have-performance-badges-lost-their-meaning.md
Podcast: [Between Two Pumps](https://stenobird.com/podcast/between-two-pumps-7795627)
Published: 2026-06-17T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://95aa058c-6ee3-446a-9bd0-b639af9376cb.libsyn.com/have-performance-badges-lost-their-meaning
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/95aa058c-6ee3-446a-9bd0-b639af9376cb/HMN_Between2Pumps_Ep12S02E01.mp3?dest-id=5349655
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/between-two-pumps-7795627/episodes/have-performance-badges-lost-their-meaning
Duration seconds: 2507

## Resource

In Episode 12 of Between Two Pumps, the guys tackle a question that's becoming harder to answer every year: Do performance badges still mean what they used to? From BMW M and M Sport to Mercedes-AMG, Audi S and RS models, Volvo R-Designs, and Volkswagen R-Lines, the conversation explores how automakers have expanded their performance brands beyond the hardcore enthusiast cars that built their reputations. Along the way, Mike Musto, Terry Shea, and Terry McGean debate whether these modern "sport" packages offer genuine performance improvements or simply deliver the look and image of the real thing. The episode also dives into the evolution of BMW's M division, the rise of AMG sub-models, classic muscle car parallels, halo-car marketing, and whether enthusiasts should embrace these watered-down performance variants or reject them altogether. Because sometimes the biggest question isn't how fast a car is—it's whether the badge on the trunk still means what you think it does.

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## Transcript

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