BMW Design - What happened?

[stuart-b]

r11co said:

That is just a 3-D render.

[somynameiswhat]

gizlaroc said:

Haha, love these threads, had Mercedes last week, now BMW and I guess Audi next week?

People driving old cars say how badly designed modern ones are, people driving modern cars say how nice they think they look. What a surprise.


Most of the older BMW "Classics" just look a chavy now when you see them on the road. Sure they were nice at the time, but I don't think many have dated that well.

Can't say I get excited about anything in the BMW range at the moment, I have a current X3, but it is the family car, it does it what it does well and I quite like the look of it, nothing more than that though. Went to get a touch up pen the other day and I didn't even have a look at the cars in the showroom, nothing there I would want.

In the end, I'm only providing a view on the current design state according to my taste, not hating. Some are well designed. In fact, we'll be looking soon for a much newer replacement for my aging E39. Maybe an E70.

[kambites]

stuart-b said:

1 series doesn't look so bad now does it?

I think all of those designs are more cohesive than the pre-facelift current generation 1-series and except for the Hyundai Coupe and the Crysler none of them really try to be anything other than minimal styling wrapped around a practical car.

[LuS1fer]

In that segment, the only car that now really catches my eye and doesn't look the same as everything else is the Lexus IS.
BMWs all look the same, Audis all look the same, the Merc A Classes look like post-crash accidents and, weirdly, Fords actually stand out as being the more stylish (IMO)
I know this owes something to BMW but it's just better.

[kambites]

The Mazda 6 is a nice looking car.

[Negative Creep]

stuart-b said:

In reality, none of these cars are bad looking

Yes they are.

[knitware]

kambites said:

I think all of those designs are more cohesive than the pre-facelift current generation 1-series

Haha, good grief, don't get a job in design, ever, you'd be laughed out the office, pub, party...

[gregs656]

The enormous current BMW range can't be sustainable, can it?

It's diluting the brand for me. The creep of FWD isn't helping, it will be a crying shame when the 1 series goes FWD on the mini platform.

[anonymous-user]

Negative Creep said:

Yes they are.

The 5 GT is one ugly car!

[gizlaroc]

somynameiswhat said:

In the end, I'm only providing a view on the current design state according to my taste, not hating. Some are well designed. In fact, we'll be looking soon for a much newer replacement for my aging E39. Maybe an E70.

Yeah I got that, I'm the same to be honest.
At least this thread was a bit less aggressive than the Mercedes one last week, where people were only buying new cars to 'impress the neighbours' or 'because they are new money' etc. etc. Some right tts on that one.

[CrgT16]

I agree some of their designs can be quite poor. But I guess cars these days are designed to pass safety tests and need to be cheap to produce. All manufacturers are like that. We have BMWs and Mercs and I agree, hardly inspired designs but I do like them anyway. Audi is the worse... All cars look more or less the same an A6 Avant looks pretty much the same as an A4 in the front on a quick glance. I guess German design is like that... On the other hand the new Alfa Giulia, if we ever see it on he road manages to combine design cues from Audi and BMW and actually make it work..

I will be getting a cheap Renault next time, at least can trash the engine a bit more and not worry about my LED signature strip version.

[Insanity Magnet]

CrgT16 said:

I agree some of their designs can be quite poor. But I guess cars these days are designed to pass safety tests and need to be cheap to produce. All manufacturers are like that. We have BMWs and Mercs and I agree, hardly inspired designs but I do like them anyway. Audi is the worse... All cars look more or less the same an A6 Avant looks pretty much the same as an A4 in the front on a quick glance. I guess German design is like that... On the other hand the new Alfa Giulia, if we ever see it on he road manages to combine design cues from Audi and BMW and actually make it work..

I will be getting a cheap Renault next time, at least can trash the engine a bit more and not worry about my LED signature strip version.

I think that the, err, hints of current 3 series (F30?) in the XE and Giulia suggest that BMW have done something right. That and the 4 are certainly my favourite of the current bunch (we have an active (=OAP) tourer in the wider family and I find that bland rather than vile). Saw my first X4 last week - not so pleasant in white...

The IS is one of those cars that I find to be much, much better in the flesh. I remember umming when I saw the first photos but they're really not bad.

[HannsG]

Here is a gratuitous shot of mine.


I have trawled Autotrader for hours and hours looking at new metal with money waiting to be spent.

I just can't bear to part with it. Imola red interior and a manual stick also....

To me the proportions of the E46 M3 make it one of the looking cars ever produced by BMW. Need I mention the engine?

You can keep your turbos

Edited by HannsG on Tuesday 6th October 01:02

[jamoor]

I can't be the only one thinking that the M cars just keep getting more and more bling and shouty?
Compare the E39 to the F10 M5.

[Ilovejapcrap]

LuS1fer said:

In that segment, the only car that now really catches my eye and doesn't look the same as everything else is the Lexus IS.
BMWs all look the same, Audis all look the same, the Merc A Classes look like post-crash accidents and, weirdly, Fords actually stand out as being the more stylish (IMO)
I know this owes something to BMW but it's just better.

I'm a massive Lexus fan my mum has had a couple of is over the years, tbh up till end 09 they look very nice and sleek, but now I'm not so sure it's all angles and the grill they are sticking on everything why !

also why are they sticking the same grill on everything

Edited by Ilovejapcrap on Tuesday 6th October 07:06

[SidewaysSi]

LuS1fer said:

In that segment, the only car that now really catches my eye and doesn't look the same as everything else is the Lexus IS.
BMWs all look the same, Audis all look the same, the Merc A Classes look like post-crash accidents and, weirdly, Fords actually stand out as being the more stylish (IMO)
I know this owes something to BMW but it's just better.

I'm with you on that one. Most new cars are pretty ugly buy I think Lexus do a good job given modern design constraints.

[kambites]

knitware said:

kambites said:

I think all of those designs are more cohesive than the pre-facelift current generation 1-series

Haha, good grief, don't get a job in design, ever, you'd be laughed out the office, pub, party...

Oh I don't know, it seems to me that I could design a very... typical modern car just by asking myself what the ugliest possible design is.

ETA: Also worth noting that I said 'more cohesive' which is not the same as 'better looking'. The problem with the 1-series is that it genuinely looks like different parts of the car were designed to be different cars; the nose is completely out of scale with the rest of the car and the overall design is a strange combination of sharp edged and bulbous. The cars you posed certainly have their aesthetic flaws, but they at least have designs which are consistent throughout the car.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 6th October 07:56

[LankyLegoHead]

I would literally rather be seen in a Ssangyong than a 1 Series. I started off by just despising its looks, but now its the type of people who drive it as well.

Oh congratulations, you've 110% Financed a White 116i, and now you think you're the st. I've driven a 120d and a 130i, both were bitterly dissapointing. Numb, boring things to drive. The interiors were cheap in feel too. My old E46 330ci was pretty unreliable, but at least it didnt snap cam chains, rattle and crash through every bump in the road. (even with its eBay coilovers on, which werent my choice btw)

Can you tell I'm not a fan of 1 Series BMW's yet?

[Sump]

LankyLegoHead said:

Oh congratulations, you've 110% Financed a White 116i, and now you think you're the st

[stumpage]

Sitting in the various jams/ motorways on my travels this car always catches my eye. It really is a looker (IMO) and does stand out from the crowd.