Good, Bad or Ugly - Current and Future styling trends of BMW

carguy58 · November 2003

to turn onto the highway the other day and I saw a new 5 Series. I wanted to catch up to it but I didn't catch up to it on the highway enough to get a close glimpse at it.

I mean BMW did these design changes to attact more women buyers? I see alot of women driving BMW's so they don't need a buyer they already have. The young people like the 3 Series too.

My conclusion on the 7 Series and 5 Series is they are way overstyled. As a buyer in my early 20's I would not buy something so out there in the styling department such as the 04 5 Series, Honda Element, or a Scion. I have seen auto magazines where younger people say they don't like the Scion's or newer BMW's.

People whined in the early to mid 90's cars were to conservative looking and all look the same now its hit or miss with styling with cars nowadays. Mazda and VW are hitting what the young people right on the head with their exterior styling. Honda, Mitsubishi, and BMW have lost their touch with this generation of young people in my opinion.

bmwmrc · November 2003

very good points in your posts. No you're not the only one and you're not a "market of one" when you speak from your heart. As a proud owner of two BMW 5 series, (1995 and 2003), I tried to have an open mind with the new design and had the opportunity to see the new E60 in person and drive it. IMO, it just doesn't do ANYTHING for me. Whereas the new MB E class was a simple but nice evolution of the old E class, the new 5 is a departure from evolution all together. I can't even state that the new design is radical. To me, it's more nonsensical, as if 10 different designers, tried to get THEIR concept through and built into the car. I realize time will tell, with regard to sales, but initial sales on any new vehicle out of the gate with the fine reputation of the 5 series, will always have first to market buyers, who want the latest and greatest. But as you acutely pointed out, it will be interesting to see a year from now, just how exactly sales compared not necessarily with the last iteration of the E39, but how it compares with the first model year (1997) of the E39, when it changed from the previous E34? Again, time will tell, but right now, I'm not going "grow into liking" this new version anytime soon.

cbgb1975 · November 2003

The new 5 is roomier inside with a larger trunk than E39. Do you anticipate similar changes will be found on new 3 when it changes?....also,can you explain the tire pressure differences outside usa versus inside usa? EPA mileage ratings?...safety? Why are these tire pressure recommendations so different?...I enjoy your responses to the wide range of comments posted here.

bmwseller · November 2003

3 series..no news yet. Tire pressure....I'm no expert on non-usa versions. EPA ratings....what's the question? Safety.....what's the question? I might need to do some research but if you can be more specific on what you want to know, we'll see if I'm up to the challenge. Perhaps, I'll get busy and need to work on a car deal.

I sold one of the last M5's(black/black loaded) in the country this weekend to a guy from Virginia and WOW was it fun! What a car!!!!! Thanks, JD. I also sold another new 2004 5 series (black/black 530i)to a young guy (thanks WW) who had a Diamante and has always wanted a 'bimmer. All and all a great weekend, sold an "old" five and a "new" five.

bentleyfam25 · November 2003

Glad you're selling them. To be fair, I was in my dealer this weekend and saw a silver with grey interior and the key addition of the brown poplar trim all around. This one looked reasonably classy, notwithstanding all the other oddities of the E60. Also a grey/black/poplar combo that didn't scream "Japanese".

But, on the lot were a brown and an olive(?) pair that looked awful, with the aluminum interior trim; like something from the late 70's. Do you guys pick these colors for your lot inventory or do the boys in germany throw them at you (serious question --)? Oh, well, let's hope they get better for the '05 year.

Cheers--

carguy58 · November 2003

I have seen like 2 04 5 Series already.

bmwseller · November 2003

October E60 sales were 2600. That's big considering dealers essentially didn't have any inventory to speak of. September sales of the e39 was about 3000.

So, early indication is that the car is selling.

warthog · November 2003

What's the inside poop on the rumored early re-design of the new 7? Or is it that you could tell us but then you'd have to kill us? [And Host, please don't move this to the 7-series board as its relevance is to the new 5]

gordonwd · November 2003

I'm going to be ordering an '04 3-series partly to have a classic-design car that I can drive and enjoy for the next 5-7 years. I also have not been wild about some recent styling directions. I even like my current '98 A4 better than what Audi did in 2002 (one reason why I'm looking at BMW and not another A4). Of course, to get an E90 I'd be waiting a year or more, and then there's the issue of getting a first-year model, etc.

Another trend I'm not thrilled with is the increase in gratuitous electronics, a lot of which I am simply not interested in. Features like touch-screens, XM radio, built-in cell phones, Bluetooth, etc. With the E46 I can freeze things at about the level I'm used to with my Audi and not have to deal with this new stuff for a few more years :-).

I might also add, as a BMW motorcyclist, that their motorcycle line has also stirred up a lot of styling controversy in the last few years. They've done a few things that are downright weird to their traditional customers. Coincidentally, their chief m/c designer is also an American, David Robb. Can't they put the Germans back in control :-)?

msinghv · November 2003

Lots of interesting discussion about the 5, but any insights on the new 3? Specifically, does anyone know for sure whether the car will be arriving in 2004 as a 2005 model or in 2005 as a 2006 model? I checked Autospies, and they say 2005 model year, but other sites (Motor Trend) say 2006. I'm trying to gauge whether or not to buy a 2004 3-series next year or wait for the new one.

Right now, I'm thinking i'll buy the 2004 now drive it for about 4 years and then buy the redesigned 3 (once the bugs and the design issues may be worked out).

By the way, I just saw a '04 5 series (black) on the highway this weekend. It actually looked pretty nice from the rear 3/4 view (I'd never thought I'd say that considering how I dislike the rear lights).

bmwseller · November 2003

BMW does some minor facelifting mid-model run of every 'bimmer. They did it with the 3, with the 5, with the x5, with the Z3 and they are doing it with the 7. They are not backtracking or caving in the style critics. There are some software updates but frankly it's hard for me to figure what exactly that is. It's nothing major and the Wall Street Journal piece regarding this is not true. This will take place spring/summer of 2005. The front, headlights, trunk and taillights will be immediately recognized as "7 series". I-drive will be given a "menu" button as in the new 5, but it will not be a 5 series version of the I-drive.

Also, look for the new 760i V12 this spring.

warthog · November 2003

for a job as SpinMeister for the White House?

bmwseller · November 2003

I'm always willing to listen about an opportunity but it better be a good one.........this is a pretty good gig that I've got here.

Bush/Powell in 2004

Powell/Rice in 2008

warthog · November 2003

are out of the way, could you describe the changes--sorry, "refreshments"-- in the previous 5? I'm no historian of the breed, but I think any styling changes were trivial. Am I wrong?

cbgb1975 · November 2003

Bmwseller, following up on the tire pressure question ....the manual for my2003 530 recommends tire pressure of 33/41 front/rear inside usa/canada and tire pressure of 29/33 front/rear outside of usa/canada. So if you are 50 miles south of San Diego in Mexico, the recommended tire pressure varies greatly with no real climate diffference. I was wondering why this is so. I was thinking that higher pressure might mean greater mpg performance and that the EPA rating might encourage BMW or any carmaker to cite higher pressure to get a more efficient rating...maybe you or someone else on this board can shed some light on this?....

cbgb1975 · November 2003

Bmwseller,I'll be interested to see if updated 3 will receive improved space like the e39 to e60. I bought an e39 partly because I loved it, and also because the 3 was just too small feeling. I'm glad bmw dramatically changed the 5 as it makes both models distinct. e60 is an impressive drive with more elbow room. If the new 3 has more elbow room than current 3, someone like me may trade down in a couple of years. I'm sticking with BMW , and confident there is a car to "fit" me when/if trade-in time comes...keep us posted as details emerge...

gordonwd · November 2003

This is starting to get OT for this topic, but why do mfrs keep increasing the size of their cars with each new redesign? Some of us like these cars the way they are. I like the size of my current '98 A4 better than what they did in '02, and the 3's also get bigger each time.

Remember when the Honda Accord was a tiny little crackerbox, and now I think it's about the size of a Taurus? Same for the German cars, but not quite as extreme (yet).

postoak · November 2003

If the new 3-series is increased in size as cbgb1975 seems to want, that'll probably mean I won't be getting one. The new 5-series is now longer than the MB Eclass!

cbgb1975 · November 2003

Size does matter as one,just one,factor in buying a car.The new 5 is now roomier than I would like, but I could live with it, no problem. However, if the 3 is also made roomier, I may go to 3 in the future....if there were enough "5" owners with similar feelings, this would affect conversion rate to new 5 within current set of owners .... likely to be replaced with a different buyer looking for more room. Whether the rest of the car would be desirable enough to "trade down" is anyone's guess,so let's see how it evolves. I'm confident BMW will have a product we can all enjoy, whether it's a 1,3,4,5, used 6, ...I stop there, the 7 really is tooooo big.....gordonwd, agree with evolution of size..it killed the 1st datsun Z years ago... history can repeat..

postoak · November 2003

But if BMW had left the 5-series the size it was before the E39 -- whatever that was called -- then you wouldn't need for the 3 to be bigger -- you could have just gotten a 5. Now, BMW doesn't offer a car between 180-190 inches.

Making the 3 larger will make it worse in some aspects.

rroyce10 · November 2003

... ** the 7 .. They are NOT backtracking or caving in the style critics** ...

I bet you wish they were .. they sure missed it on the new 7, plus they now have the re-sale value of an asparagus .. I have always liked the "5's", let's hope they don't miss the mark on the new one ...

Terry.

silver323 · November 2003

I especially liked gordonmd's comments on the e46. I have a 99 323 which has been a great car aesthetically, as well as mechanically. I like the styling direction of the new 5-series, but seriously think BMW may be overengineering the mechanical side of their vehicles. Too much electronics which detracts from the pure driving enjoyment of the car. For instance, moving the window switches to the door is not good. The logical place is where it is set now. Also, is all the sensory mechanical systems really needed? I just had the DSC / brake lights stick on which turned out to be a false alarm. It is all a marketing push to get us to keep upgrading to have the latest and greatest in my opinion. I will keep my 3-series for at least 5 more years. No need for all the complicated stuff that detracts from the simple pleaure of driving a BMW. Not seeing anything that would make me change at this point - maybe I should buy another low mileage e46 to keep as back up.

I'm going to be ordering an '04 3-series partly to have a classic-design car that I can drive and enjoy for the next 5-7 years. I also have not been wild about some recent styling directions. I even like my current '98 A4 better than what Audi did in 2002 (one reason why I'm looking at BMW and not another A4). Of course, to get an E90 I'd be waiting a year or more, and then there's the issue of getting a first-year model, etc.

Another trend I'm not thrilled with is the increase in gratuitous electronics, a lot of which I am simply not interested in. Features like touch-screens, XM radio, built-in cell phones, Bluetooth, etc. With the E46 I can freeze things at about the level I'm used to with my Audi and not have to deal with this new stuff for a few more years :-).

I liked
I might also add, as a BMW motorcyclist, that their motorcycle line has also stirred up a lot of styling controversy in the last few years. They've done a few things that are downright weird to their traditional customers. Coincidentally, their chief m/c designer is also an American, David Robb. Can't they put the Germans back in control :-)?

lemko · November 2003

...what is "Bluetooth?" Sounds like a lot of the things BMW is trying to add are the sort of things I'd never miss if they weren't there. Leave it to the Germans to overengineer everything. For example the breech assembly for a certain German artillery piece used 45 separate components whereas a similar American piece used only eight.

diestelmeier · November 2003

Finally there's a car from BMW that gets me off the sidelines and into the game. I've wanted one of these cars for more than 10 years, and have always found a reason to put it off. Not any more -- I won't be putting it off any longer, now that the '04 5 is out. Yes sir, as I look at its excessively stlyed exterior (which I could probably learn to love, if I had to, but honestly it would take a couple of years) and then inside to its de-contented and down-right cheap (yes, I said CHEAP) interior (just twirl the temp knobs and you'll get my drift), I can only say, "I'll take an '04 3 series." Don't want, don't need, and will never desire I-drive. Can't bear the thought of waiting until 1Q '05, when the new 3 debuts . . .

Went to the dealer today for the third time in an effort to understand the new 5. I can't. I'll take the '04 3, keep it for many years, and hope that by the time I get back into the game again, BMW is again making cars that speak to me. In the meantime? Yeesh.

dbs8 · November 2003

Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows hands-free cell phone operation among other things. Acura offers it as standard equipment in the new TL. I'm told it costs a couple of thousand in a BMW. The price you pay for that wonderful drive!

I've wanted a BMW since the mid eighties, my best friend in high school had a 325e. I always thought the cars were a great blend of exceptional driving characteristics and understated style. Now that I can afford one, they're becoming ugly clones of other lessor cars. The new five looks alot like the Infinity I30 IMO. I'm ordering a 2004 three series. This may be the "last of the good ones".

I guess BMW is saving me money, I would have bought the five if it weren't so hideous!

carguy58 · November 2003

The 95-99 Infinti I30 was bland and offensive. The 00-01 I30 was actually a pretty good looking car before the 02 model changeover to the I35.

bentleyfam25 · November 2003

Ah, yes. This is really BMW's strategy for selling off cars that are late in their model lifecycle: the new 7 drove people to the E39, and the E60 is driving people to the 3 series. When the new 3 comes out, all the old lines will be cleaned out...

f1buick · November 2003

Let me try this thesis: Styling has never been a BMW strong point. The name, after all, is Bavarian MOTOR Works, not Pininfarina, and if style is your bag, then the Italians, Brits, and, yes, the Yanks have plenty of offerings. While some Bimmerphiles might care to disagree, I respectfully suggest that a BMW body graced with, say, GM mechanicals, would be lambasted as badly engineered AND of questionable appearance.

Yes, there have been exceptions, and the 1995-2001 years featured decent looks pretty much across the board, but even then BMW saw fit to grace us with the M Coupe (ughhh).

My point is that BMW differentiates itself from the pack based on engineering, not great looks. The problem with recent bimmers is not so much styling as it is engineering for engineering's sake: technological gee-wiz devices of questionable utility but undoubted cost and complexity.

bmwmrc · November 2003

I totally agree with you! I do however, like my '03 E39 style and my 1995 (E34?) body style as well. I bought the car because of the great fit and finish, engineering and OH THAT DRIVE. But I also like the looks. The new '04 --5? Blechh!!! The front looks like a Pontiac. The back looks like a Kia. Ouch. The interior looks and feels cheap. And the so-called larger size, seems to be more in the trunk than the back seat. I sat back there and the back seat did not feel any larger than my '03.

Great post!

treehumpindog · November 2003

but the new 5 series is the worst design to spring from chris bangle's hand since he took over at bmw. the 7 series has odd touches that i dislike, like the Buick SUV eyebrows over the front headlights and the add-on trunk lip, but right from the start it's basic body style had a kind of hulky muscular presence on the road that has grown on many initial haters. the z4 as well, is very CAD/CAM looking, with all of its intersecting cut lines and contours, but it again has a presence on the road that is powerful. the new 6 coupe is marvellous, clearly bangle's best work to date.

but the new 5 series?--ugh. double ugh! the front end is alright, even the rear end is strangely acceptable, but the side profile is... hideous! the waist line (the main line that runs along the side length of the vehicle, aesthetically dividing the upper section from the lower section) is much too high, making the car look fat and ponderous. the outgoing 5 series, the automotive paragon of a taut athlete with its clean, graceful, balanced lines, has been tragically transformed into a couch potato who wears his pants up high over his beer belly by fastening his belt over the hump. dbs8 is right to have snatched up a current 3 series. who knows what it'll look like the next time we see it. maybe like the droopy new solara? shiver.

dbs8 · November 2003

I have made the Pontiac comparison as well.

I guess the school of thought here is: "If it isn't broken, break it". Ask Coka-Cola how well this works! Risky business for such a successful car maker.

I think that many people do buy BMWs for their looks and image. They have always been distinctive and tasteful. IMO, the best way to describe the new direction is "Overstyled".

bmwmrc · November 2003

Couldn't agree more. A new direction or bold direction is one thing. But a change in design to be different is another. This "another" is seriously wanting. If I have to grow to like it, then I'm in trouble. I don't like it now and I suspect I won't like it next year either.

manybmws · November 2003

around $500 to install in an '03 5-series.

bmiz · November 2003

I was at my local beemerhaus today to see about giving them back my '03 530i, for an '03 M5.After the M5 ride, I tried an '04 545 6sp.Not thrilled about the looks, but the ride is definitely what this car is all about.More interior room,valvetronic V-8,incredible handling.I-Drive,was not bad at all.After this ride,the M5 was ruled out, and will wait and compare to the long-awaited 645

carguy58 · November 2003

is the 99 3 Series and thats it. I mean BMW is a luxury brand not a company that builds sports cars. BMW builds the cars to drive their cars to drive like sports cars but to look like sports cars? No. I mean if you want a car that girls check you out for the looks buy a old Pontiac Trans Am, Mazda Miata, or mid to late 90's Mitsubishi Eclipse. I mean the 5 Series is a big car size wise. Its just not meant to be sporty looking on the exterior. The 7 Series is like a full size car 1980's style: the car is not meant to be sporty. Lastly, If you check out a 92-98 3 Series sure its not sporty but it still looks good. Pre-Bangle BMW has always had an understated styling theme to it.

I haven't been happy with alot of cars styling wise lately from the Germans or Japanese it seems like the Germans and Japanese have switched their styling to get the Domestic Big 3 buyer off his or her "too bland for me" bandwagon. I have two words for the Germans and Japanese: Core Buyer.

mckennamd · November 2003

Please tell me that you were being sarcastic and did not truly mean that a chick would check you out more in a Trans Am, Miata or Eclipse over a BMW 5. Are you kidding me? What kind of chick are you looking for?

The BMWs are not meant to be sporty? HUH? Are they not the bench mark of Sports sedans?

designman · November 2003

This has to be the best since Kennedy debated Nixon.

mckennamd · November 2003

karmikan · November 2003

Here's a quote from the latest Car & Driver, part of a luxo-mobile comparo in which the 745 came 3rd.

"Yet the latest luxo crop has become screen dependent, to the point of ruination in the 7-series BMW.

"It wouldn't be that bad if they changed a few things." That's from the staff's most ardent 745i defender. The majority of us think iDrive, as BMW calls its computer interface, needs a clean-sheet redesign.

BMW tried to take over control of HVAC, audio, chassis settings, trip info, navigation, etc., with a screen. You make your choices with a single knob that turns, toggles, and clicks; it's a mouse substitute. Worse yet, the company forced ordinary controls into some contortion of the knob thing; for example, you must select the part of the seat you want to adjust by pressing a button, then twist or toggle a knob to make it move. Okay, but what was wrong with the old way?

In fact, the 745i has buttons and rockers scattered about the dash that let you adjust HVAC and do very basic radio/CD changes without using iDrive. But they're so haphazard in their logic that they only add to the annoyance.

We've given iDrive 18 months to persuade us. It failed. Now the F is in ink. Fearless prediction: The 745i will take a beating on resale."

Ouch!!

carguy58 · November 2003

No, you miss understood me a little I think I know BMW's are the benchmark for sports sedans. Thats why I said in my last post: "BMW's are meant to drive like sports cars".

I mean the 5 Series(pre-04) has always been understated and classic looking but has never been an eyecatcher.

As for getting chicks the Trans AM sticks out like a sore thumb on the road as does the Miata and pre-00 Eclipse. Thats what chick's like: sports car's. I don't drive a sports car because I drive what I want and what is comfortable for me. Sports cars are nice looking but they're cramped in terms of interior room.

Kirstie_H · November 2003

OK, let's steer back onto discussion of cars and not stereotyping the people who like or drive them!

ksoman · November 2003

Hostess, please give us some playing ground... just kidding.

There is an interview with the BMW CEO in today's wall street journal. Though I personally like the styling of the new cars, despite the fact that they seem to be geared for the metrosexuals rather than the masochists in us... anyway, the point is, most of the die hard fans here dont like the new styling and in this article the CEO talks about brand projection and protection... somehow the two dont fit with each other...

anyway, happy reading and driving
ksso #0

bmwccc · November 2003

I am a first time chat here but have been reading a lot of your conversations on the 3 series. I was going to buy the 2004 330ci in December but now understand there are some significant changes with the engine, exterior and interior for the 2005 3 Series!

Does anyone know when they will be introducing this to the U.S.? Will it be all 3 Series models or just the 4-Door?

Please Help!

merc1 · December 2003

BMW is really making a mess of things. I don't think I've ever seen such a potentially beautiful car (6-Series) ruined by a single detail, that stupid trunklid!!

M

ddblue · December 2003

This has got to be the most controversial design issue in the automotive industry today. Bimmerphiles are at each others' throats, but there are even more who want to get within reach of Chris Bangle's throat.

I have been trying to take into account Bangle's intention behind his design concept (as I couldn't completely understand the actual execution of it). I appreciate Bangle's goal of taking BMW into a new design era. The motive is good. BMW has carved a significant niche into the sport luxury market. Even those who don't particularly like BMWs will say that they are remarkable works of automotive machinery, especially in the performance department. Mercedes is BMWs primary competition overall (as opposed to the 3 series vs. Infiniti G35, Lexus IS300). No doubt BMW observed the future of Mercedes design and found it evolutionary. Bangle wanted BMW to take some design risks in order to establish a greater presence in the luxury car market and to set the tone for the future of BMW designs--edgy, set apart, even controversial. Some will love it, some will hate it, but no one will be indifferent. This was probably his mindset pre-market.

Outcome? Different, I believe. I have never seen BMW drivers up in arms like this. It's a mixed bag, though. Just about everyone I talk to says that when the new 7 first arrived, it was just plain nasty but after a time they were convinced it had a strong and handsome presence. It would never be confused for a Merc. In a market niche standpoint, that's positive. But S classes are undeniably good designs, albeit conservative. Ultimately, take a look at who buys them (50+) and you can see that conservative is the better bet. And with the purported 2004 headlight and rear decklid change, you can see who was right. I still think the 7 looks great as a whole concept, despite some design fubards.

The Z4. I had seen some conservative pre-market sketches. I was hoping to see something along the lines of a modern 507. Oooh, that would've been something. New chassis? Great, I thought. The Z3 needed it badly. Then I saw spyshots of the flame surfaced version. "Ugh, WTF is that???" I said to myself. Many of my BMW friends agreed. This was one bizarre looking automobile. The front was acceptable, the profile with the bisecting line was just plain strange and the rear looked like a pregnant S2000. But I told my friends that it would look better in real life than in the photos, just like the 7. I believe I was correct. The Z4 is a definite head turner. There is nothing in the market today that looks like it. It makes the Boxster look boring (not ugly). It's much more masculine than the Z3. BUT, it's still strange to me. Bangle went for presence, for certain--with less concern over individual styling aspects (the Roundel turn signal is tacky, in my opinion, like a BMW hocky puck glued to the car). But Bangle achieved his goal with this car. You may see some small changes over the next few years to smooth out some edges, but the car is a success.

The 5. The biggest risk yet, I believe. Everyone agreed that the Z3 needed some real change. The 7, probably less so, but still needed a slightly more aggressive stance. The 5 was the sport sedan benchmark. How do you replace an automobile that was considered nearly flawless by everyone in the industry? The perfect blend of practicality, sportiness, masculinity, elegance, power and stealth. This is where a car should be ideally muscular and refined. Like a lean bodybuilder in a notch-lapel, black tuxedo. He steps into the room, looking superbly crisp and sophisticated but something underneath says, "I could snap you like a twig." This is where BMW went grossly wrong, I believe. They needed to be evolutionary here. Give it a wider stance and accentuate the fender lines a bit. Give it a more pronounced grille without making the front look like a Pontiac. Now the car has too many divergent lines, too many angles that take away from the muscularity and just make it look busy. I look at cars like the Merc E-class. Gorgeous and elegant but not muscular enough. BMW has always been about performance, and their cars have communicated that, with a healthy dose of elegance. The 5, apart from the handling, has departed from that mindset and design execution, in my opinion.

The 6 is probably the best out of all the new designs. Since it has yet to be released, I can't make any comments on its presence. It is not as muscular as I'd hoped but the lines flow much better than the other designs.

I fear for the 3. The current E46 design is perhaps one of the best in the automotive industry. I can't see it improving under Bangle.

karmikan · December 2003

Thoughtful post. I completely agree that the E39, from a 3/4 front view looks purposeful and slightly menacing (I like your body builder analogy).

I saw a 6 series at my local dealership about 2 weeks ago. It was black and stunning, I was just smitten by the front and side views. It has a mean, hunkered down look that isn't apparent in photos. Then I looked inside - 5 series and iDrive (aarrggg!). I went around the back and there was this nasty trunk lid that looked even more prominent and misplaced than in the the photos I've seen. I walked away thinking that BMWs current styling theme is just plain weird.

prattster · December 2003

The new Z4 looks ridiculous. That compressed back quarter looks flat out ugly and conflicts with long elongated hood. The porportions are bad. The overstyled doors with diagonal style lines don't work. S2000 all over this ugly German experiment in performance and clean functional styling.

The 7 and 5 series borrow the orginal Lexus GS arching roofline and short trunk but totally butcher the look with hideous rear end treatment, overstyled again. The new 5 front grill is all Pontiac Grand Am. The absence of any body side door moldings is real dumb again. Door ding city. Again, form overlooking function. The interior is another weakness, the dash doesn't flow as before and the look doesn't convey sport and that I-drive is total garbage. The materials are not up to the previous models. Chalk it up as 3 new ugly releases.

The current 3 series is aging, the G35 coupe is a much more dynamic design and performance to back it up. BMW's gonna have more trouble than it's styling as the all new peformance M35/45 models are coming straight for the 5 series. Lexus's all new 05'GS looks stunning and will clean up in this segment I predict. This is where Lexus will take it next, new dynamic, bold design to match it's outstanding quality.

The new E doesn't have design presence, it's not bold enough another good car like the Accord but just blends in with the herd. Mercedes interiors all look cheap anyways. Audis new A6 looks it could swallow a person with that huge grill. My fav. designs would be the 91-95 Acura Legend coupes, the 92-00 Lexus SC coupes, the last gen. RX7 clean, and the new 350Z looks mighty fine in silver sporting off those sexy curves.

sphinx99 · December 2003

The 7-series is history's first fullsize sedan that would look better with a tacky aluminum wing.

karmikan · December 2003

I regularly read UK car reviews to get a different perpective. Here's part of a review of the E60:

"The new 5-series is very possibly the most talked about new car of the year. Chiefly this is because the old one was just so utterly fabulous, easily the best car in its class when it came along seven years ago and, astonishingly, still the leader when they pulled the plug seven years later.

You didnt have to think when you were looking for a £30,000 four-door saloon. You bought the Beemer and you loved it. But you do have to think with the new one, because the styling is, how can I put this, a bit challenging.

Im told that as time passes we will become accustomed to the looks, which manage to be sharp and bulbous at the same time. But thats like asking a seven-year-old to live on olives because hell like them when hes an adult. In the here and now the 5 is truly gargollic, a symphony of discords and stylistic infighting. And its no better on the inside, with acres of extraordinarily cheap-looking plastic moulded into a series of shapes that jar."

Seems to encapsulate the situation nicely. Buyers used to almost automatically think Sports Sedan = BMW. Now it's no longer automatic because buyers have to overcome the styling hurdle, which is pretty high for some. Time will tell whether or not this will have a major impact on sales. My guess is that it will once the initial new model rush is over.

bretaa · December 2003

Great post ddblue! Regarding the current 3 series, I think it is an absolutely beautiful, powerful, and classic design. For that reason, I just recently purchased a certified preowned '01 330i over getting a new version of something like an IS300 or G35 that was in my price range. While the E46 design is classic, the Japanese designs tend to be faddish, and will probably look so in about 5-10 years after Lexus and Infinity change their "vision" again (see my long post about this recently in the BMW 3 series forum).

While certainly controversial (especially the 7-series), I believe that Bangle has succeeded in making his cars look like nothing else on the road while making them still easily identified as BMW's. Look at the current C-Class, for example. It's smoothed over, morphed, evolutionary Mercedes design makes it no more exciting to look at than any other compact car lozenge on the road. I'll often pass a new E or S Class and not even look up. The new BMW designs, while maybe not "beautiful" in the classic sense, are always interesting to look at and have a dynamic aspect to them that makes them look like they are running even when standing still. And again, from 10 or 100 feet away, they are still clearly BMW's. I find the new 5 series especially to be much more arresting in person than in photographs. Like with Cadillac's new designs, it might take a generation or two of models to work some of the detailing out.

Interestingly, I have more problems with the interior design direction than the exterior (lets forget I-Drive for a sec). I love my 330i's enveloping, driver oriented cockpit. I'm not as fond of the current 5 and 7's open air, dramatic sweep away from the driver. I think the color and pattern issues still need some work as well. However, in the 5, 7, and Z4, the material quality and solidity of feel are beyond reproach, especially in the 7. Regarding I-drive for a sec, let's just say I think it should be an option and be integrated like Audi's popup-screen unit.

That's about all. Any opinions?

Bret

Good, Bad or Ugly - Current and Future styling trends of BMW

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