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billywhizzzzzz
Original Poster
480 posts
12 months
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Have had E30s, E36, E46, E90 BMWs but just cant bear to part with this one ('91 325i touring) I've had 15 years or so. Only does a few miles a year now but for me was a real high point of BMW Design - in that era, most BMWs didn't have a single line you'd change... 
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B3Svert
507 posts
61 months
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I agree with the e30, in touring or 2 door saloon version they look just about perfect. Of course I'm talking about well kept examples, not rusty-arched, chrome wheeled Croydon cruisers.
Disappointed to say the e36 didn't do it for me (despite having owned several), e39 and e38 are true highlights though. Again they must be well kept, original e39/38 in the right colour scheme still floats my boat in a big way.
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300bhp/ton
26,483 posts
59 months
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billywhizzzzzz said: Have had E30s, E36, E46, E90 BMWs but just cant bear to part with this one ('91 325i touring) I've had 15 years or so. Only does a few miles a year now but for me was a real high point of BMW Design - in that era, most BMWs didn't have a single line you'd change... I'm not a BMW hater at all, indeed I've even owned a few. But boy do they know how to build dull looking cars though. I do like the e30's, but I think they look better in pictures than in the flesh. Best looking BMW's for me are: M Coupe (Z3) Z8 X6 Nothing wrong with the rest, but they all seem to perfectly sit in that void of not pretty, not good looking, not interesting looking, not aggressive looking, not elegant looking, not sporty looking, not dramatic looking, not aerodynamic looking. All in all they tend to look a little dull.  (they seem to sell well though, as do the equally dull looking Audi's... reckon this must mean something you know  )
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Gruber
4,121 posts
83 months
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To my eyes, the e30 touring is one of the best resolved bits of mainstream car design in the last 30 years - perhaps second to the Pug 205 GTI. From a utilitarian perspective it's a shame they didn't put the rear lights in the boot hatch, instead of putting them on the body of the car and narrowing the boot opening, but I guess they must have had their reasons.
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em177
1,200 posts
33 months
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300bhp/ton said: Best looking BMW's for me are:
X6 Hmm.....
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rumple
2,509 posts
20 months
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em177 said: 300bhp/ton said: Best looking BMW's for me are:
X6 Hmm..... Hmm.....+1
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300bhp/ton
26,483 posts
59 months
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em177 said: Hmm..... I think they look great. Like a giant R/C car! 
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KaraK
10,606 posts
78 months
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rumple said: em177 said: 300bhp/ton said: Best looking BMW's for me are:
X6 Hmm..... Hmm.....+1 Aesthetics are very divisive and for the most part what people consider looks good can vary massively. I happen to think the BMWs of the era the OP is talking about are very dull and in the modern era very dated. That doesn't mean he's wrong - just that we like different things 
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milfordkong
583 posts
101 months
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My good god.... I was nodding along with you until you said X6 - All design is subjective but christ seriously?
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kambites
32,864 posts
90 months
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For me, their looks started to go down-hill after the E46. The E60 took a while to grow on me but I ended up liking it by the time it was replaced; everything since has been pretty terrible looking. Perhaps more depressingly, as far as I can tell they're completely lost their way with chassis and control setup. 
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StottyZr
4,086 posts
32 months
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I have no evidence to back this statement up whatsoever but experiance from other walks of life leaves me to believe it will be accurate...
The majority of new models will have had "questionable" looks at the time of release, then years later the looks grow on people.
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B3Svert
507 posts
61 months
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kambites said: For me, their looks started to go down-hill after the E46. The E60 took a while to grow on me but I ended up liking it by the time it was replaced; everything since has been pretty terrible looking. Perhaps more depressingly, as far as I can tell they're completely lost their way with chassis and control setup. e46 was also great but IMO not in saloon form. Coupe/Cab/Touring was spot on. Totally agree with the chassis, but then any e90+ era models I have driven have all had M Sport suspension and run-flats which killed it. Slightly O/T My favourite BMW to drive was my old M535i, firm but supple suspension with nice fat tyres and a slippy diff - perfect combination!
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monthefish
15,709 posts
100 months
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kambites said: Perhaps more depressingly, as far as I can tell they're completely lost their way with chassis and control setup.  Jeez, Kambites - can you not just leave at least one thread on PH without comment about chassis and how wheels have got too big, blah, blah, blah.... There is (far) more to cars than just a good chassis.
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kambites
32,864 posts
90 months
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monthefish said: There is (far) more to cars than just a good chassis. Yup. There's... N-Cap ratings; load carrying capacity; iso-fix mounts; towing capacity;...  ETA: I could maybe forgive BMW's slide into mediocrity if they hadn't also ditched their lovely N/A I6 engines, but now they seem to offer little over Ford, really.
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Rawwr
12,654 posts
103 months
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I think the E46 is almost perfectly designed. One of those perfectly proportioned designs that still looks good today. The E39 is almost in the same camp, if a little blancmangy.
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kambites
32,864 posts
90 months
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Rawwr said: I think the E46 is almost perfectly designed. One of those perfectly proportioned designs that still looks good today. The E39 is almost in the same camp, if a little blancmangy.  Especially the estate.
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tommy vercetti
3,289 posts
32 months
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Favourite BMW design is the E60, I think it looks just perfect and is very pretty, imo.
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Pommygranite
4,158 posts
85 months
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BMW Z1 - looks fab and a future classic.
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0a
8,434 posts
63 months
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I love the e34 touring, wonderful: 
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FlybyWyre
305 posts
63 months
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BMW saloons are a classic 3 box shape which is functional. The front grill is really clever. Without the grill a BMW saloon looks like a 60s Morris Oxford.
Easy job being a BMW stylist (apart from that 5 series a few years back)
The X6 looks like...................How many have they sold in the UK?
The local milkman has a pickup Sooty van with a BMW grill, looks great!
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