Is Haris right? Was Chris Bangle a prophet??

[Bayerische]

Schermerhorn said:

Many designs get very old with age. Look at the E36, E39, 8 Series etc.

But the Bangle BMW's have not suffered from this at all.

I picked up my M6 from the dealership yesterday and it was getting more looks than the new M3 saloom it was parked next to. It still looks fresh and bang upto date IMO.

Congrats on your new M6 and no disrespect intended, but I think you would be in the monority if you think that an E63 M6 has aged better than an E31 8 series, E36 or E39.

[skyrover]

To me bangle designs (and most bmw's since) look soft, bloated and un-purposeful.

He took BMW and made it more effeminate, perhaps no accident as I'm sure it helped broaden the brands appeal.

[Schermerhorn]

Bayerische said:

Schermerhorn said:

Many designs get very old with age. Look at the E36, E39, 8 Series etc.

But the Bangle BMW's have not suffered from this at all.

I picked up my M6 from the dealership yesterday and it was getting more looks than the new M3 saloom it was parked next to. It still looks fresh and bang upto date IMO.

Congrats on your new M6 and no disrespect intended, but I think you would be in the monority if you think that an E63 M6 has aged better than an E31 8 series, E36 or E39.

The older cars look very old.

The E63 still looks modern as does the E90 compared to the F80.

[fatboy b]

Schermerhorn said:

Many designs get very old with age. Look at the E36, E39, 8 Series etc.

But the Bangle BMW's have not suffered from this at all.

I picked up my M6 from the dealership yesterday and it was getting more looks than the new M3 saloom it was parked next to. It still looks fresh and bang upto date IMO.

Because there are so many around now, the new ones are going to age faster. So,I would disagree with you.

[Bayerische]

skyrover said:

To me bangle designs (and most bmw's since) look soft, bloated and un-purposeful.

He took BMW and made it more effeminate, perhaps no accident as I'm sure it helped broaden the brands appeal.

Agree 100%

[tomjol]

Bayerische said:

Schermerhorn said:

Many designs get very old with age. Look at the E36, E39, 8 Series etc.

But the Bangle BMW's have not suffered from this at all.

I picked up my M6 from the dealership yesterday and it was getting more looks than the new M3 saloom it was parked next to. It still looks fresh and bang upto date IMO.

Congrats on your new M6 and no disrespect intended, but I think you would be in the monority if you think that an E63 M6 has aged better than an E31 8 series, E36 or E39.

The E39 has aged well but for me the E31 and E36 really show their late-80s roots, too many straight lines and sharp angles.

[Leins]

Schermerhorn said:

The older cars look very old.

The E63 still looks modern as does the E90 compared to the F80.

All personal opinion of course, but both the E90 and E63 are tired old looking things to my eyes, despite not being around for too long. A bit like those old Labradors you see who haven't had enough exercise

The E36 coupe in particular is still looking extremely sharp and lithe IMO for a car that first appeared well over two decades ago, and others must agree with the cars more recent resurgence in the secondhand market

Edited by Leins on Sunday 30th November 10:32

[Fox-]

Leins said:

All personal opinion of course, but both the E90 and E63 are tired old looking things to my eyes, despite not being around for too long

For the E90 at least I don't think BMW's ridiculous policy of deliberately gimping the pre facelift models to give them something to facelift with the 3 Series helps matters when it comes to dating. By the time the E90 appeared BMW had already developed and offered LED tail lights, proper projector lenses, LED indicators, etc etc on much of the range including some of the outgoing E46 range. But come E90 - gone - standard fit lights were like something from 1990.

Guess what, facelift came around and oh look, LED's are back. And now a 2006 E90 just looks old. Sat behind one at the lights the other day and it was alongside a 2003 E46 330Ci. The 330Ci, from the rear, looked considerably fresher and more modern.

They did exactly the same thing with the E60, too - the outgoing E39 had CELIS LED rear tail lights, projector angel eyes as standard... and the E60 didn't. I'm just thankful they gave up with this stupid idea when they released the F10.

Some 15 years after the tech first appeared it strikes me as bizarre that ANY product from a premium manufacturer still uses non LED lights for indicators and tail lights.

[Schermerhorn]

Only the Lci models get the LED light treatment. It is deliberate strategy from BMW.

[The Wookie]

Nope, I still think all of his well known designs are hideous, it's only familiarity that has eased the visual offence. The E60 still looks like a mess of awkward shut lines and dodgy angles to me. The 6-series is only vaguely acceptable as the proportions are ok, the details are still odd and ugly to my eyes. The bangle 7 series needs firing out of a cannon into the heart of the sun. The 1 series was close to acceptable but ruined by ill proportioned details.

He's also managed to set up a precedence of ugly styling at BMW that, through moderation of his extremes, is now dull as well as foul to look at.

The only thing he's brought to the party is sculpted sides to reduce the side on bulkiness of today's cars, but that's not exactly the inspired work of genius, it could easily have emerged from a less well known designer without a song and dance about it.

[anonymous-user]

Fox- said:

dme123 said:

I think it's important to put his work in the context of the time too - nobody else had any bright ideas so it was either bland or terrible retro dross.

I don't think it's fair to call the E39 5 Series or E46 3 Series either 'bland' or 'terrible retro dross'.

I was thinking of cars being launched at the same time, not stuff that had already been out for 8 years. They had to take their designs forward somehow, and nobody else seemed to have any clever ideas in that respect hence more of the same (bland) or turning to the past (retro dross). I know it's sacrilege to criticise the E39 and E46 on PH but they both look dated now and were extremely conservative designs at the time, launched into an extremely conservative market for tediously conservative buyers. I think the bangle designs should take some credit for making the repmobile / executive repmobile market a little more open minded. In this regard the comparison with the Sierra seems very apt.

Edited by dme123 on Sunday 30th November 13:56

[Fox-]

They look dated because two decades have passed since the designers sat down to pen them..

[David87]

I was never a massive fan of Bangle's BMW designs (although I didn't hate them with that passion that many seemed to), but there are a couple that to my eyes stand out as excellent, namely the E60 5 Series and Z4 Coupé. More than ten years on, an E60 / E61 with the M Sport aerokit and 19" wheels looks superb, ditto the M5.

[johnfm]

I think the Bangle cars were, from some angles, bloody good. Still are.