[steker]

So the iX just got announced and I think it proved my idea of the new grills: they look good (not that bad) on SUV's and station wagons (like the M3 station), but they look bad/wrong on sport models.

The thing is, sport models tend to be low and wide cars, while SUV's are taller and higher and look more narrow. So the new grill is tall and narrow, which fits much better on a SUV.




While the tall and narrow grill on the 4/M3/M4 basically makes the car look less low and wide, which is not what you expect from a sport car.




Basically all sport cars like Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Mercedes and all previous BMW's have wide and low black air in takes, which makes the car look wider and flatter. But these new grills on BMW make the sport cars look like SUV's from the front.

I personally think that the width of the grill should always be much wider than the height on a sports car (apart from Alfa's ), but that's just my opinion.




By the way... I think that if the grill is in the colour of the body it looks much more toned down. That could be the temporary solution for this strange period in BMW's design history.

[SteveinArizona]

+1,000. That is exactly my complaint. The ultimate driving machine is now looking like a fat old man. It is badly in need of a diet.

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

+1,000. That is exactly my complaint. The ultimate driving machine is now looking like a fat old man. It is badly in need of a diet.

The Ultimate Driving Machine doesn't look anything like me.

But Im with you both, that upright grill is hideous.

[racerbruce]

Perhaps BMW aspires to emulate the Lexus infamous cow-catcher look....which emulates a 1920's steam locomotive front end.

[..Rush..]

Agreed on your commentary regarding the grills, and how they look proportion-wise with SUVs and sport cars/coupes.

[Sassicaia]

The bottom line is even if some people like it this gen of M3 will be most remember by how ugly it was and when BMW sold out to a soon to be defunct clothing brand.

Imagine if the e30 partnered with Guess Jeans?

Exactly.

[383vett]

Wonder who is in charge of design. Why don't they poll 10 people and ask for opinions?

[Tacoma]

Originally Posted by AdM1nsarEas$

I think they will revise the grill in v2, and v1 will become a future classic in 20-30 years. remind me.

Yes, if "future classic" means being on the list of top 10 failures in terms of turning a classic design into an abomination.

[robertm]

Originally Posted by Sassicaia

The bottom line is even if some people like it this gen of M3 will be most remember by how ugly it was and when BMW sold out to a soon to be defunct clothing brand.

Imagine if the e30 partnered with Guess Jeans?

Exactly.

Hah love it! At least the majority of people actually knew the Guess brand

[robertm]

Originally Posted by Sassicaia

The bottom line is even if some people like it this gen of M3 will be most remember by how ugly it was and when BMW sold out to a soon to be defunct clothing brand.

Imagine if the e30 partnered with Guess Jeans?

Exactly.

Hah love it! At least the majority of people actually knew the Guess brand

[VisualEcho]

Simpler than that is the fact that it's unbalanced, and people's eyes aren't used to seeing that sort of thing. And worse yet is human pareidolia, so you have this obvious pig thing going on.

It's just a bad play, but they're making a gamble because BMW's are like pizza; even when they're bad they're still pretty good. In other words, people are going to buy the product regardless, but I'd bet my hands that the new design won't out-sell the old design, apples to apples.

[jimbobiggens]

I'm sorry, but that new grill looks like..


but maybe that's just me.

[cooolone2]

Buck toothed!!!

And really have a hard time processing exactly what designers were thinking! In addition, those who approved concept to production that this would somehow be associated with maintaining or increasing sales! (Not)...

That is what will change things. Of course only if you dismiss all those who buy a BMW just to buy a BMW! Because if you remove the styling, and performance, well... Might as well buy a GM then! Lol

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by AdM1nsarEas$

I think they will revise the grill in v2, and v1 will become a future classic in 20-30 years. remind me.

The current 4-series will become a classic just like the Edsel...by the way, that's not a good thing.

[BeEmVe]

Originally Posted by 383vett

Wonder who is in charge of design. Why don't they poll 10 people and ask for opinions?

They did and eight of of ten are from the Asian market.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by BeEmVe

They did and eight of of ten are from the Asian market.

I think the Chinese thing is a convenient way for BMW to justify the outrageous money it pays it designers (outrageous because anything more than 1 penny is more than they are worth). Until someone shows me evidence that Chinese people prefer bugs bunny grills, I don't believe it.

I still would love to see BMW offer a traditional version just like they offer MSport and Luxury lines. Offer a classic line and see how many folks pick it over the new version.

[wdb]

Fugly.

Fugly on a sedan.

Fugly on an SUV.

Fugly.

[gurns]

Whew! So many dissenting responses about the grill. Wow! Look across the entire product line (and not just BMW’s). Pretty much what one sees are larger grills. My personal opinion is that is the direction it is going. Factor in the number of electric cars coming on line over the next several years and how the front ends will look. Tesla’s model 3 early production versions looked like something out of a cartoon; not attractive to me. They now incorporate a grill of some sort. Change can be a hard thing to take.

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by gurns

Change can be a hard thing to take.

It's not change that is hard to take. It's ugly, disproportional, gaudy, and obnoxious change that's hard to take.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by thebmw

It's not change that is hard to take. It's ugly, disproportional, gaudy, and obnoxious change that's hard to take.

Exactly. I would want a more horizontal grill, not an Edsel behemoth. Give me a grill like MB has and I would not be complaining. So it is not change, it is ugly change that bothers me.

[Chihuahua]

I had a chance to see the new 4er in the flesh today at the local dealer. It definitely looks better in person than it does in photos, and I had my doubts. If the upcoming i4 is going to look like this, I'm in.

[Tacoma]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

I think the Chinese thing is a convenient way for BMW to justify the outrageous money it pays it designers (outrageous because anything more than 1 penny is more than they are worth). Until someone shows me evidence that Chinese people prefer bugs bunny grills, I don't believe it.

No one has shown any evidence because there is none. Pure hearsay. Those who spout this idea are looking for scapegoats or someone to blame for this poor design. If you look at Chinese philosophy of Fung Shui, it's about balance, harmony and flow between elements, which is the opposite to the design of this pig snout grille.

Edit: And yeah, it looks better in a larger SUV, but that doesn't make it look good.