BMW Design - What happened?

[StuntmanMike]

BrownBottle said:

I think they have had a return to form since the days of the E39 and E46, current M3 and M5 looking good to my eyes.

These models
E87 1 series
E60 5 series
E65 7 series
E90 3 series
E63 6 series

Were all a low point for me personally with regards to both exterior and interior styling. I've tried for years to like them hoping they would grow on me but I just can't force it the feelings just aren't there.

I remember seeing an E60 for the first time just after they were released, I was literally stunned and couldn't believe BMW had built one of the ugliest cars I had ever seen. The shock faded over time as I think it did for a lot of people, but my mind never changed.

For me it was the E90, never have I been so shocked, so bland, it hasn't faded over time.

[lord trumpton]

StuntmanMike said:

BrownBottle said:

I think they have had a return to form since the days of the E39 and E46, current M3 and M5 looking good to my eyes.

These models
E87 1 series
E60 5 series
E65 7 series
E90 3 series
E63 6 series

Were all a low point for me personally with regards to both exterior and interior styling. I've tried for years to like them hoping they would grow on me but I just can't force it the feelings just aren't there.

I remember seeing an E60 for the first time just after they were released, I was literally stunned and couldn't believe BMW had built one of the ugliest cars I had ever seen. The shock faded over time as I think it did for a lot of people, but my mind never changed.

For me it was the E90, never have I been so shocked, so bland, it hasn't faded over time.

Yeah - the e90 M3 is the worst M3 they have ever made imho both in looks and engine. I know its a V8 screamer but it has zero soul compared to the S50 and S54

[StuntmanMike]

lord trumpton said:

StuntmanMike said:

BrownBottle said:

I think they have had a return to form since the days of the E39 and E46, current M3 and M5 looking good to my eyes.

These models
E87 1 series
E60 5 series
E65 7 series
E90 3 series
E63 6 series

Were all a low point for me personally with regards to both exterior and interior styling. I've tried for years to like them hoping they would grow on me but I just can't force it the feelings just aren't there.

I remember seeing an E60 for the first time just after they were released, I was literally stunned and couldn't believe BMW had built one of the ugliest cars I had ever seen. The shock faded over time as I think it did for a lot of people, but my mind never changed.

For me it was the E90, never have I been so shocked, so bland, it hasn't faded over time.

Yeah - the e90 M3 is the worst M3 they have ever made imho both in looks and engine. I know its a V8 screamer but it has zero soul compared to the S50 and S54

I wouldn't know about that, I have never sat in a V8 M3 let alone driven one, I've no doubt they are very good cars but, its the looks for me.

[Sump]

Well you crack on and design something better then...or do you want to stick to your £35k P/A job and pretend you can do something better on the internets?

[Otispunkmeyer]

bhstewie 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?

I actually quite like the idea of the GT models. From the looks of things they have much better interior space and I don't think the 5GT looks too bad at all.

All being told though, the big 3 german brands (BMW, Merc, VAG) just don't make anything that I look at and think "want".

[Emeye]

E92 is the best looking modern BMW.

And this has nothing to do with me currently owning one.......

I am a bit of tart when it comes to looks - I've had mk1 TTs, an E39 Sport, an Alfa 155 and a mk1 Freelander along with a million others, but only the grand coupe 4 door version of the 2 door version of the 4 door saloon,of the 4 and 6 would be on my current want list.

Oh and I like the current 1 series M-sport - looks ain't always about beauty to me - sometimes individualism does it for me.

[StuntmanMike]

Sump said:

Well you crack on and design something better then...or do you want to stick to your £35k P/A job and pretend you can do something better on the internets?

Yeah thanks for that dogscock.

[stuart-b]

JonV8V said:

And it was e89 was launched 6 years ago, is the only E series they still sell, and isn't going to be replaced.

The 6 gran coupe looks great to me, but then I own one (and a Z4 for that matter)

Nicely done sir! You have my ideal garage

[Driver101]

Why do people use the 2 series tourer and the X4/5/6/7, then compare it to a 6 series coupe and come to the conclusion BMW has lost it?

Why not use modern models of the same cars for a better comparison?

Unless some people have missed the last 20 years, nearly all cars are fat and bloated. It's not a styling thing that only BMW have started doing.

The current M3/M4 is better looking than the E46 M3 is to me.

[Sump]

StuntmanMike said:

Sump said:

Well you crack on and design something better then...or do you want to stick to your £35k P/A job and pretend you can do something better on the internets?

Yeah thanks for that dogscock.

I think it's only reasonable to slag off someone elses design work if you can offer your own design.

A vector drawing or a even by hand and some letraset pens wouldn't take long.

[Lester H]

What has happened to BMW design - leave Bangle out of this- is that having succeeded with SUVs they now absolutely have to be in every possible niche; utter fear at the prospect of missing out! Much better designs than Mini though, it ,apart from nice basic one, went down the cartoon/ self-parody route.Sad.

[AmitG]

kambites said:

It's not just BMW, cars in general have just got ugly in the past 20 years to my eyes.

I think a large part of it stems from the minimum bonnet clearances required for EU type approval; that lead to rising bonnet lines which in turn lead manufacturers to use daft compound creases and other ugly surface effects to hide the slab-sidedness of the resulting shape.

I think another factor is the rise of computer aided-design and manufacture (CAD/CAM). 30 years ago, in the days of the drawing board and French curve set, there was a lot of effort involved in visualising and manufacturing complex designs. Now, a few clicks of a mouse and you can make pretty much any shape you want. As a result, manufacturers have gone OTT with it.

I actually like Lexus's approach. Their latest designs (NX and new RX) take the compound crease thing to an extreme. The whole design is taut and heavily creased, with lots of sharp corners and acute angles. It looks modern and works really well IMHO. With the BMWs I feel like they are standard shapes with a load of creases ironed into them.

[StuntmanMike]

Sump said:

StuntmanMike said:

Sump said:

Well you crack on and design something better then...or do you want to stick to your £35k P/A job and pretend you can do something better on the internets?

Yeah thanks for that dogscock.

I think it's only reasonable to slag off someone elses design work if you can offer your own design.

A vector drawing or a even by hand and some letraset pens wouldn't take long.

So you cant have any sort of opinion on how any car looks... because you don't design them, thanks glad we cleared that up, and I just though it was one of your troll type insults.

[Driver101]

AmitG said:

I think another factor is the rise of computer aided-design and manufacture (CAD/CAM). 30 years ago, in the days of the drawing board and French curve set, there was a lot of effort involved in visualising and manufacturing complex designs. Now, a few clicks of a mouse and you can make pretty much any shape you want. As a result, manufacturers have gone OTT with it.

I actually like Lexus's approach. Their latest designs (NX and new RX) take the compound crease thing to an extreme. The whole design is taut and heavily creased, with lots of sharp corners and acute angles. It looks modern and works really well IMHO. With the BMWs I feel like they are standard shapes with a load of creases ironed into them.

Everyone's taste is obviously different, but I personally find the NX and RX horrible things.

It is all those angles and wheel arches that ruin the car for me.

[Sump]

StuntmanMike said:

Sump said:

StuntmanMike said:

Sump said:

Well you crack on and design something better then...or do you want to stick to your £35k P/A job and pretend you can do something better on the internets?

Yeah thanks for that dogscock.

I think it's only reasonable to slag off someone elses design work if you can offer your own design.

A vector drawing or a even by hand and some letraset pens wouldn't take long.

So you cant have any sort of opinion on how any car looks... because you don't design them, thanks glad we cleared that up, and I just though it was one of your troll type insults.

The original post is far far far more detailed than, my God that looks ste.

[unpc]

StuntmanMike said:

So you cant have any sort of opinion on how any car looks... because you don't design them, thanks glad we cleared that up, and I just though it was one of your troll type insults.

Quite. I don't remember it being a crime to have an opinion on something.

I'm tempted to ask the question, when has a German company ever designed a truly beautiful car? I can't think of one and I've considered the 507 and the original SL and so on. I understand that looks are subjective but style has always been in short supply.

[lord trumpton]

Sump said:

StuntmanMike said:

Sump said:

Well you crack on and design something better then...or do you want to stick to your £35k P/A job and pretend you can do something better on the internets?

Yeah thanks for that dogscock.

I think it's only reasonable to slag off someone elses design work if you can offer your own design.

A vector drawing or a even by hand and some letraset pens wouldn't take long.

Yeah Mike, go get to work with your letraset pens and when you have designed something better then you can comment

Sump - it's a car forum bearing a thread on the design of the current BMW genre. Do you really think everyone should stay quiet unless they can submit a better design?

[StuntmanMike]

lord trumpton said:

Sump said:

StuntmanMike said:

Sump said:

Well you crack on and design something better then...or do you want to stick to your £35k P/A job and pretend you can do something better on the internets?

Yeah thanks for that dogscock.

I think it's only reasonable to slag off someone elses design work if you can offer your own design.

A vector drawing or a even by hand and some letraset pens wouldn't take long.

Yeah Mike, go get to work with your letraset pens and when you have designed something better then you can comment

Sump - it's a car forum bearing a thread on the design of the current BMW genre. Do you really think everyone should stay quiet unless they can submit a better design?

I've just started one, having some trouble at the minute, a ten pence piece is not quite big enough to draw around for my wheels and it wouldn't ride too well on a fifty, it looks a little like the car Hong Kong Phooey drove.
This I feel is the future, I am willing to give up the shape changing gong for an Idrive button.

[Gatefold]

IN my opinion, the issue started with the E60 5 series and the first 1 series, these two being the first models that looked properly unwieldy unless they were specced up well. The E46 and E39 were still relatively handsome in 316i and 520i base spec, whereas the following 3 series, the first 1 series and the e60 looked decidedly dowdy with small wheels and standard bumpers.

Smaller wheels look similarly lost in the bodywork on everything, but later models were quite fussy when panels met (look at the base of the A pillar, for example).


compared to

Edited by Gatefold on Sunday 4th October 21:56

[drivingaddict]

Methinks my 4 Gran Coupe looks stunning.

But I dislike (speaking of design only) the X1/X4/X6, 2 Series Active Tourer and 3/5 GT. Horrible cars.