BMW Design - What happened?
Discussion
I was just looking at the new cars that BMW currently offered, especially with the launch of the new 7 series, and I just wanted to comment on what has changed in BMW.
Back in the early 2000's the BMW's looked great, especially the E39 and the E46, providing great looking cars for the average car buyer. Even the E38 was a very slick and gangster looking, a true barge to its name and really was and still is an impressive car alongside the other offerings from the 95-03 era. Those cars aged very well indeed and still can be very desirable cars now, especially with the E39 M5 and the E46 M3, both of which are now renowned cars that have a great market. These had slick designs with perfect, minimalistic lines.
After the era of the early 2000's, a man going by the name of Chris Bangle came in to the designs of the cars (not all however) from 2003 onwards and created somewhat 'bold' designs which created much criticism towards the cars of that era. This is the cars such as the E60/E63/E65 era cars. While the E65 was a very unique design which was generally not well received, the LCI update for that car created a somewhat very nice looking barge in my opinion, with big bold design elements such as the massive front kidney grilled and the rear trunk lid. The E63 was a generally disliked car in terms of design at the beginning, but the design aged over time and the E63 is now a very nice looking grand tourer car in my opinion. This can even be said about the E60, which also followed the same trends in design over the E63, and is now a somewhat nice, slick car with great, smooth and curved lines and is now accepted by many, compared to when it came out. Overall, the design of the Chris Bangle era was initially not so nice, but slowly became better over time. Indeed, one could say it aged well.
Even the E70 X5 was a very nice design over the blocky, muscular E53, leading on to be one of BMW's great, well known cars that went alongside other options such as the Range Rover and even the Q7 that people looked at when shopping in the luxury SUV market.
Also, the E90 was a good, simple but sleek design when it came out, along with the coupe variant and only looked better when the car went through the LCI phase. This car was well known amongst the roads of the UK and still is a very desirable car that people look at, especially with the LCI making the E90/92 series have more technology and still is seen as a modern car 5 years after the LCI.
The E87 was a varied car in terms of the response it received, but it gained the status of the first 'baby BMW', with it even gaining hot hatch status with the 130i, which went against strong competitors such as the S3 and the Golf V R32.
Now, the designs have changed so much and are just 'sheepish' they seem just acceptable against cars that BMW now compete with. The designs now seem like they are fitting in and not defining BMW, like how the previous cars could be told that they are BMW's from their design, in my opinion. They're just a bit too normal.
Now the designs just don't seem up to scratch in my opinion.
So then, what happened?
For reference:
E46 - 3 Series '98-'06
E39 - 5 series '97-'03
E65/66 - 7 series '02-'08
E60/61 - 5 series '03-'10
E63/64 - 6 series '04-10
E90/92 - 3 series '06-13'
E70 - X5 '07-'13
E87 - 1 series '04-'11
Back in the early 2000's the BMW's looked great, especially the E39 and the E46, providing great looking cars for the average car buyer. Even the E38 was a very slick and gangster looking, a true barge to its name and really was and still is an impressive car alongside the other offerings from the 95-03 era. Those cars aged very well indeed and still can be very desirable cars now, especially with the E39 M5 and the E46 M3, both of which are now renowned cars that have a great market. These had slick designs with perfect, minimalistic lines.
After the era of the early 2000's, a man going by the name of Chris Bangle came in to the designs of the cars (not all however) from 2003 onwards and created somewhat 'bold' designs which created much criticism towards the cars of that era. This is the cars such as the E60/E63/E65 era cars. While the E65 was a very unique design which was generally not well received, the LCI update for that car created a somewhat very nice looking barge in my opinion, with big bold design elements such as the massive front kidney grilled and the rear trunk lid. The E63 was a generally disliked car in terms of design at the beginning, but the design aged over time and the E63 is now a very nice looking grand tourer car in my opinion. This can even be said about the E60, which also followed the same trends in design over the E63, and is now a somewhat nice, slick car with great, smooth and curved lines and is now accepted by many, compared to when it came out. Overall, the design of the Chris Bangle era was initially not so nice, but slowly became better over time. Indeed, one could say it aged well.
Even the E70 X5 was a very nice design over the blocky, muscular E53, leading on to be one of BMW's great, well known cars that went alongside other options such as the Range Rover and even the Q7 that people looked at when shopping in the luxury SUV market.
Also, the E90 was a good, simple but sleek design when it came out, along with the coupe variant and only looked better when the car went through the LCI phase. This car was well known amongst the roads of the UK and still is a very desirable car that people look at, especially with the LCI making the E90/92 series have more technology and still is seen as a modern car 5 years after the LCI.
The E87 was a varied car in terms of the response it received, but it gained the status of the first 'baby BMW', with it even gaining hot hatch status with the 130i, which went against strong competitors such as the S3 and the Golf V R32.
Now, the designs have changed so much and are just 'sheepish' they seem just acceptable against cars that BMW now compete with. The designs now seem like they are fitting in and not defining BMW, like how the previous cars could be told that they are BMW's from their design, in my opinion. They're just a bit too normal.
Now the designs just don't seem up to scratch in my opinion.
So then, what happened?
For reference:
E46 - 3 Series '98-'06
E39 - 5 series '97-'03
E65/66 - 7 series '02-'08
E60/61 - 5 series '03-'10
E63/64 - 6 series '04-10
E90/92 - 3 series '06-13'
E70 - X5 '07-'13
E87 - 1 series '04-'11
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hstewie said:
hstewie said: I don't think the sheer number of models can help much.
I was driving along the other day and something went past me and I had a "WTF?" moment as I saw a BMW badge but didn't quite register what it was - they now do a 3-Series GT.
Why does any manufacturer need so many models?
Yep, there must be so much overlap too. I was driving along the other day and something went past me and I had a "WTF?" moment as I saw a BMW badge but didn't quite register what it was - they now do a 3-Series GT.
Why does any manufacturer need so many models?
I was shocked to come across a 4dr 4series a few months ago; thinking that the 4 series was the Coupe' and Cabriolet, basically a 4dr 4 series is a 4dr version of the 3dr Coupe' which is Coupe' of the 4dr 3 series.
HTP99 said:
Yep, there must be so much overlap too.
I was shocked to come across a 4dr 4series a few months ago; thinking that the 4 series was the Coupe' and Cabriolet, basically a 4dr 4 series is a 4dr version of the 3dr Coupe' which is Coupe' of the 4dr 3 series.
Was behind an X4 the other day, add that to the 4 Series variants! I was shocked to come across a 4dr 4series a few months ago; thinking that the 4 series was the Coupe' and Cabriolet, basically a 4dr 4 series is a 4dr version of the 3dr Coupe' which is Coupe' of the 4dr 3 series.
rohrl said:
I think you can date the decline of BMW design to quite a precise moment. It's when the E46 was facelifted and the front indicators were turned upside down.
I still can't quite believe that the company that made this -
now makes this -
Not only that- its front wheel drive!I still can't quite believe that the company that made this -
now makes this -
Treason!
rohrl said:
I think you can date the decline of BMW design to quite a precise moment. It's when the E46 was facelifted and the front indicators were turned upside down.
Are you saying that the prefacelift E46 was better looking than the facelift? Other way round IMO, prefaces were a bit st looking in my eyes.IMO, they have evolved quite well. Yes, they're different, but times change. 3,5 & 7's have all looked good to me and still do. I was never a fan of the original E53 X5, but thought the E70 was very good looking for a large SUV, they have ruined it with the LCI though. Same with the 1 series, I think I thought the opposite of most people and thought it was quite a looker, not so keen on the new one, although it is growing on me slowly.
I agree with all these 'niche' cars they're making now though. I understand the introduction of the 4&6 models, and having the coupe/convertibles as a separate model to the saloon/tourer. But it just boggles my head that they made the 2dr car a different model and then give it 4 doors! The 2 series are f
king horrendous looking things in real life, as are the coupe 4by4 things they make.somynameiswhat said:
rohrl said:
I think you can date the decline of BMW design to quite a precise moment. It's when the E46 was facelifted and the front indicators were turned upside down.
I still can't quite believe that the company that made this -
now makes this -
Not only that- its front wheel drive!I still can't quite believe that the company that made this -
now makes this -
Treason!
somynameiswhat said:
rohrl said:
I think you can date the decline of BMW design to quite a precise moment. It's when the E46 was facelifted and the front indicators were turned upside down.
I still can't quite believe that the company that made this -
now makes this -
Not only that- its front wheel drive!I still can't quite believe that the company that made this -
now makes this -
Treason!
OP, I think the F30 3 series is a good looking thing.
Shame it lost its older brother's engine
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