this is exactly why I got rid of mine. Here is how the typical conversation would go.
Bum (who knows nothing about cars) "what is that"
me "Its a contour SVT"
Bum "oh I rented one of those once'
me "No, this is the SVT a faster version"
Bum "Oh, a sports model?:"
me " if you want to call it that, its a lot faster than a stock contour"
Bum "Oh, how much for the body kit?"
me "it came stock that way"
Bum "the rims too?"
me "yeah the rims came with it. Yes it just a sports model that is made to run on the autobahn"
This is why I bought my 330i. I was tired of trying to explain how its not just a contour but a faster SVT model. Now life is simple. I just tell people I have a BMW and they think I am a yuppie. Oh well I have a great car.