What's worng with BMW? (Sorry to swear)

[alfakid]

I was walking through the village the other day when I noticed a sports car parked at some distance across the field. From where I was, the side profile didn't look too bad.

Mmmm...it's a BMW Z4 Coupe!

As I got closer, I started looking at the ugly body sculpturing, like the big dip in the door. Lots of BMW's today seem to have this, it's a bit like 'Alfa Jealousy'.
Now I am not an artist by any means but something didn't quite work here! As I walked , I looked, trying to work it out?

That's it! Mixing straight lines with curved, it's all wrong!

This car has a straight line coming down from the windscreen pillor to meet the ugy curved door sculpturing. What it needed was something less obvious around the door area and then a line flowing up to the wheel arch, all in one harmonious curve. You know, a bit like the Italians do it!

Sorry BM but it is such an Ugly Duckling. A £32,000 Ugly Duckling!(besides being a BMW, that is). You could buy some serious art work for that kind of money.

What BM need is some Italian blood in there designs but then it wouldn't be German would it?

[Green Cloverleaf]

Many designers seem to be going for "shock tactics" at the moment to get their designs noticed. Hence the "flame" designs of the current beemers and the futuristic designs of the new civic etc.

These grab the headlines, but split opinion on aesthetics, and will usually date very quickly once the novelty wears off.

A more classic, subtle design (such as that practiced by many of the Italian design houses) will always be more "timeless" and cleaner looking. However, as with many things getting it right, without making it bland and boring, is the art and one which many cannot achieve.

This is one of the reasons we drive Alfas, and the reason why we will always be the envy of many drivers of bland Germanic/Japanese cars.

[ACAPULCO AL]

Tbh I quite like the "flame surfacing" look. Ok it's not quite up there with "Stile Italiano" but for an English designer (Chris Bangle) it's not a bad effort when you compare it to other great British designs like the Rover 75 and err... the Jag S-type

"Shock and awe" design isn't necessarily a bad thing and can actually age quite well - just look at the SZ and RZ

[nomad]

What He Said !!

[vamos]

The flame edge design has been heavily criticised when it appeared, and I did'nt like it either, but lately, it is growing on me. I have to say that comparing the new 5 series with the old, the new design is much more vibrant and interesting. For that reason, I would not agree that it will age quickly. (Unlike the Honda Civic effort, which looks dated already).

Some of the flame edge designs do not work, namely the new 3 series, but that is where BMW chickened out and redesigned Bangle's work. The Z4 looks pretty good to me (flame suit on)

[ACAPULCO AL]

The Z4 and 5-series (particularly in M-sport fancy pants) are great looking cars. The first of the flame surface cars I think was the 7 series where it didn't quite work (looks like a flame surfaced volvo catastrophe) and the 3-series just looks crap imo - a real let down. They should've been a lot bolder with the design, bearing in mind people would buy it in their droves anyway purely for the badge and the perceived snobbery value of having a car that every 3rd house on every street in Britain has

[BigFoot]

I have to disagree Al, the Z4 is fugly, although not as bad as the Z3

[alfakid]

So then, who thinks the BMW 'Flame Design' on the One Series looks better that a 147?

Personally I think the One Series looks like it's had an artistic shunt up the rear!

[ACAPULCO AL]

yeah the 1 series is the kind of car only its mother could love

[vamos]

Don't much like the 1 series

Originally Posted by alfakid

So then, who thinks the BMW 'Flame Design' on the One Series looks better that a 147?

Personally I think the One Series looks like it's had an artistic shunt up the rear!

[sandys]

Z4 Coupe is bloody gorgeous, I keep toying with buying one as I really like it but its a lot for money for what its is, still prices seem to be dropping at a decent rate in the secondhand market for the normal 3.0, once I can get a well specced Z4MC for late 20s I'll probably be a BMW driver

[Alfahorn]

My best mates business partner got a Z4 on lease. After 6 months he hated it so much he gave to his wife and now drives a Focus TDCi

[symon]

All of the current BMW range are ugly. The best of the bad bunch IMO is the 6 series coupe.

Chris Bangle is American BTW not english.

[Jester]

Chris Bangle designed the Fiat Coupe... cant be all that bad!

And I quite like the Z4 and especially the coupe.

The ugliest of the lot has to be the new 3 series. WTF... talk about bland and ugly.

[dpat]

Z4 - ugly
Z3 - uglier
5-series - okay
3-series - yuck
X5- for drug dealers
X3- for very yummy mummies
1 series - banana
6 series - dining room table

is that it?



I am sure they are technically brilliant though

[BigFoot]

Agreed with the X3 comment

[dpat]

Originally Posted by BigFoot

Agreed with the X3 comment

..but not the rest

[BigFoot]

Oh the rest too, but that one just stood out

[vamos]

You forgot 7 series - ugly uberbarge

not that I agree with your views on Z4, 5 and 6 mind

Originally Posted by dpat

Z4 - ugly
Z3 - uglier
5-series - okay
3-series - yuck
X5- for drug dealers
X3- for very yummy mummies
1 series - banana
6 series - dining room table

is that it?



I am sure they are technically brilliant though

[BigFoot]

The M5's pretty good, and so is the M3. M6 is completely pointless.

[dpat]

yes out of them all an M5 would be my pick

after any Alfa of course (Arna excepted)

[jabberwocky]

if you squint the current beemers are good looking....... until you look at the detail, they seem to have left the back ends to the tea boy to design, the rear lights are all wrong, especially the Z4 and 6 series, from the front and side the 6 series is a great looking car, then you see the back end design by tea boy!! oh and the rear lights on the new 3 series look like something nicked from the proton parts bin. they need to get a grip of the detail,

[vamos]

E46 CSL for me

Originally Posted by dpat

yes out of them all an M5 would be my pick

after any Alfa of course (Arna excepted)

[alfaholic]

Originally Posted by alfakid

IWhat BM need is some Italian blood in there designs but then it wouldn't be German would it?

The classic BMW 'sharknose' look which served them so well has a lot of Italian influence. Certainly the original 5-series was designed by Bertone (Gandini in fact) and I'm sure the earlier 1500 was done in Italy too. The even older 700 series was styled by Michelotti.
So perhaps they need to look to their past a bit more for future designs.

[AlfaJack]

I think the M3 and M5 are fantastic looking cars, especially the 5, utter aggression, I see one parked up on way to work, from the rear left or right, the camber of the rear wheels just make it look really nice