BMW Design - What happened?

[StuntmanMike]

drivingaddict said:

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.

Saw one today, in fairness it looks like the saloon, much better effort than the GT things.

[nickfrog]

Why do people worry about entire ranges ? If there are cars within the BMW range that the image conscious don't like : don't buy them ! Super simple.
But it's the usual PH binary thinking : it's has to be ALL crap, irrespective of whether any particular BMW is any good. Anything modern is st apparently anyway.

[Lester H]

4 Gran Coupe good.

[kambites]

Stupid name, though. Why couldn't they just call it the 4-series hatchback?

[BarbaricAvatar]

Honestly, the design at BMW is the same as always. There are cars that look great, and there are cars that look dull/st in their active range. The only inconsistancy is with which model/series that looks good/bad.

Examples of good design:
50's:


60's:


70's:


80's:


90's:


00's:


10's:


Personally i don't think anything's gone wonky in the design department, they still make handsome cars and they still make hideous ones.

[drivingaddict]

BarbaricAvatar said:

Examples of good design:
00's:

Is this a joke? First gen 1 series is a horrendous car. Those E9s and E24s though, ooooh yes!

[Negative Creep]

Gatefold said:

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

The base model E36 looked pretty grim with grey bumpers

Edited by Negative Creep on Monday 5th October 17:20

[pits]

drivingaddict said:

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.

So you have a 4 door version of the 2 door version car, which is to compete with the 4 door version of the 4 door version of the 2 door version car, then we will call this 4 door version of the 2 door version car a coupe, because apparently coupes now have 4 fking doors, well done BMW you've outdone yourself there.

I can't wait until BMW release the new 2 door version of the 4 door version of their 4 door version car, BMW 3 Petite coupe.

[StuntmanMike]

pits said:

drivingaddict said:

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.

So you have a 4 door version of the 2 door version car, which is to compete with the 4 door version of the 4 door version of the 2 door version car, then we will call this 4 door version of the 2 door version car a coupe, because apparently coupes now have 4 fking doors, well done BMW you've outdone yourself there.

I can't wait until BMW release the new 2 door version of the 4 door version of their 4 door version car, BMW 3 Petite coupe.

In fairness VW started all the 4 door coupe nonsense.

[somynameiswhat]

lord trumpton said:

I think that the current crop of BMW look pretty tasty (especially mine)

The reason why BMW have gone down the volume route with a car for every niche is because that have to. BMW is still owned and controlled by the founding family. If they don't stay financially strong then they would get taken over.

They have to respond to the market and make what people want to buy

I've owned countless BMW over the years and even today, you can jump right into any model and they still have that familiar layout and slightly over weighted steering. They are still a quality brand that stand out from the rest.

Any model they make (good or bad) is instantly recognisable as a BMW yet still remain individual - unlike the ste Audi produce

All audis basically have the same exterior and interior, no doubting that.

[somynameiswhat]

Another thing to comment is that BMW want more money to make the cars look ok, the base spec ones look horrible with average everything from trim to lights on the car. The more you seem to pay for e.g luxury, m sport then the better the car looks. A 335d m sport looks much more BMW than a 320d company car spec. That's just marketing essentially.

[somynameiswhat]

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?

You have no idea who I am...

[davamer23]

somynameiswhat said:

You have no idea who I am...

Ronnie Pickering?

[drivingaddict]

pits said:

So you have a 4 door version of the 2 door version car, which is to compete with the 4 door version of the 4 door version of the 2 door version car, then we will call this 4 door version of the 2 door version car a coupe, because apparently coupes now have 4 fking doors, well done BMW you've outdone yourself there.

I can't wait until BMW release the new 2 door version of the 4 door version of their 4 door version car, BMW 3 Petite coupe.

Well Audi did it first. A4 -> A5 -> A4 Sportback. You can't really blame BMW. Anyway, I'm very happy to have a car that isn't one of the 20 F10s and F30s I'll see every day.

I guess BMW's marketing worked.

[Mr Tidy]

BarbaricAvatar said:

Honestly, the design at BMW is the same as always. There are cars that look great, and there are cars that look dull/st in their active range. The only inconsistancy is with which model/series that looks good/bad.

Examples of good design:
50's:


60's:


70's:


80's:


90's:


00's:


10's:


Personally i don't think anything's gone wonky in the design department, they still make handsome cars and they still make hideous ones.

Couldn't agree more - I've had BMs for the last decade, mostly because I like the dynamics; I just like RWD and that does tend to limit my options (don't really care about "pretty" - that is for the ladies)!

But maybe for 00's you need to replace what you had with one of these:-



The first BMW I bought for how it looks as well as how it drives (but I am completely biased - I just wanted one from the first time I saw one and last year I got one)! It's terrific!

Others worthy of some credit are the E46 and E39, and the Z8 is stunning in the flesh.

Current models worthy of credit are the 4 and 6 Gran Coupe, but at least they have a range with a few variations - IMHO preferable to the Audi approach where there is 1 design and you just pick the size!

[anonymous-user]

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.

+1

Bit of a wkerish post that Sump.

[lord trumpton]

davamer23 said:

somynameiswhat said:

You have no idea who I am...

Ronnie Pickering?

Who?

RONNIE PICKERING!

[k-ink]

rohrl said:

I still can't quite believe that the company that made this -



now makes this -

[DrTre]

I didn't realise that 2 series thing was FWD.
I always thought the MINI branding thing was quite a clever coup (notwithstanding the fact they trashed Rover in the process of obtaining it) to get FWD into their line up without "sullying" their RWD reputation. I'm mildly surprised they changed their minds.

I quite like most of the current range, though I agree it's a little baffling having so many permutations of model. I guess if they can design and make them, why not?
Something for everyone including a few things no one knew anyone wanted, even BMW it sometimes feels.

[kambites]

I still fail to understand why the people carrier was badges a 2-series (which is meant to be the "sportier" part of the small-car lineup?) rather than a 1-series.