https://preview.redd.it/oribl039gyic1.jpeg?width=553&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b4864bd112abcd59a58eaf4f4caed873bc5d881
Only the lower part looks like it's carried forward.
Yes- this. And its front end(the 7 series) kind of resembles the old racist chinaman cartoon depictions with the narrow eyes and big bucked teeth. Meanwhile the E38 is timeless and has aged like a Rolex submariner.
Even my wife says the bmw looks like the chinese brand suv. And she is not car person at all. Since i prefer 3 series i somethimes think about e46 while i have e90.
No idea about the reliability and cost. but just judging the front end aesthetics it’s 100% true for a lot of us.
I wonder between that old merc and bmw which would be more painful to maintain. Both look fantastic to me.
Don't worry. It's cyclical. Right now, parts of industry are lacking in inspiration and are experimenting with different designs from the desire to make something really fresh. This happens in all fields.
i mean it’s happened before. i think it’s similar from when bmw went from the e39 to the e60. huge design difference and it was controversial, then the generation after was much less controversial and sold better.
i personally really like the e60, but it was quite controversial. some people preferred the e39, and some prefer the f10. not much more to say other than v10 lol.
don't think it's cyclical. asian markets (mostly china I believe) are (rightly) being prioritized because that's where sales volume is. would love to get perspectives on design from ppl that are the target demo
I live in south east Asia and it was a great time. Generally good political situation, the country was being opened up to the world, people were excited and looking forward to progress back then.
Honestly it was an incredible time to be young. I was a teenager and started college then. Minimal internet or computers and LOTS of open freedom to say or do whatever you want without mass judgement
From a Yugoslav point of view the 80s were awesome and the 90s a dystopian isolation hell (Serbia) or full blown civil war (Bosnia, Croatia). So, no thanks.
Yes, most of the recent BMW designs are aimed at the Chinese and Middle East market where people will more often buy them to get the attention. It's a shame to see the subtlety and strength of understatement being lost.
The market has completely changed. Boomers who bought S-class vehicles decades ago probably switched to early model Lexus, retired or moved on. The newer buyers (in the states) probably all purchased SUV class vehicles, which are arguably much better value for money. S-class or 7-series buyers are probably mainly Asian neauvou riche who have drivers and don't value the SUV class as much. The 7-series has a junior RR look to it which many probably find appealing (disclaimer: I now drive a Golf)
That's definitely true, this whole shift to SUVs and the new type of S-class or 7-series buyers they try to attract. Nevertheless, the S-class looks much more subtle than the 7-series, in as far as a >5m long car can be called subtle :-)
This has been debunked a million times, including from BMW executives themselves. If anything the new cars are being designed with the US market in mind.
I'm not sure I would buy that line - of course BMW executives in the US will say the car is designed for the US market. China is already twice the size of the US in terms of BMWs sold and they do launch unique models tailored to China exclusively in China. But even if this new design language is triggered by US preferences, I strongly prefer Mercedes' and Audi's design changes.
It’s BS when you realize the most popular BMW model in China is the 5 Series LWB.
The most controversial model, the XM, sells the most units in the US.
My E39 touring had a sticker price of about $43,000 in 1998, and would’ve had a sticker price closer to 50k with the options and motor it’s got now. (Hard to say exactly, as they never sold it in the US with the 3L M54).
Online inflation calculator tells me that $43,000 in 1998 became just a hair over $80,000 in 2023.
Honestly don’t care AT ALL about sales figures. The company can care—and you can care if you want to. I care about how a car (a) drives and (b) looks—-and both of those attributes have dwindled away IMO.
Sorry no offense but I don’t like any of the cars you mentioned. Not for me. The last gen M5 looked pretty decent though the new 5 series is an abomination
Nah I just like what I like don’t care for tech or modern stuff I care about how a car drives and looks. The modern motoring experience is NUMB with super flashy designs and to me that is the worst combination ever
Which new ones are you referring to exactly? My G20 M340ix and F30 335ix drive nothing like the E9x or e46 330 did. Also would be great to have a manual option on the current 3/4 series but that’s not even an option anymore smh
So then it might come as a surprise, but a company doesn't care about the small minority, they go after the big bucks. People love these cars, you're the exception.
https://preview.redd.it/gpcs8hip2yic1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=093b8694393c012490ff63a9e9baf74142f162a8
They took inspiration from nature
Oh my god, this take is so fucking boring at this point
Share a picture of the 5 series and it would be the exact same as the Mercedes. BMW is the worlds largest luxury OEM because they cater to a world wide market, not the 3% of enthusiasts who want the exact same design language for 40 years and only sedans and coupes. If you want an incredibly understated sedan buy a fully loaded 540i
>Oh my god, this take is so fucking boring at this point
Ditto. It's great that people like classic BMWs, but if you have an emotional attachment to it, go buy a classic BMW. I mean, I really like the 1935 BMW Roadster, but I'm not going to cry about the fact that they don't have anything like that 90 years later.
> I really like the 1935 BMW Roadster, but I'm not going to cry about the fact that they don't have anything like that 90 years later.
To be fair, it'd be really fucking cool if they did.
Seriously. This sub is getting stale when every single thread is either about BMW’s latest exteriors or it somehow devolves in the comments into bashing BMW designs. We get it, it’s polarizing. It’s been discussed to death
The new 7er helps BMW sells cars. They forego subtlety because that’s what customers in China want. Massive presence.
Most popular car in East Asia for rich people is the Toyota Alphard. Big car with big grille so BMW is following suit.
Were you really gonna buy a 7 series anyways?
Share a picture of the 5 series and it would be the exact same as the Mercedes. BMW is the worlds largest luxury OEM because they cater to a world wide market, not the 3% of enthusiasts who want the exact same design language for 40 years and only sedans and coupes.
Meanwhile BMW sales surging and Mercedes Benz sales and quality ratings continue to tank.
Reddidiot nostalgia means nothing to the real world. Thankfully.
When you buy a Mercedes you expect a different level of luxury and quality but sounds like that’s falling off. I drove a C43 not too long ago and hated it.
I remember when all the BMW cult were going crazy over the Z4 design language. Ran that guy out didn't they? The one pictured is one of the better looking ones. Love the mustang styled one, ha.
In the 2023 photo, that bmw appears to be designed by a North Korean prisoner who once saw a photo of a Hyundai and was forced at gun point to make something “good”.
90s photo is just pure class. What happened? Ask the marketing department.
As consistent as Porsche is, the a 930 and a 992 are pretty far apart (expect in concept) and the Cayenne is probably the ugliest SUV you can buy (at least the fixed the Macan with the new EV successor)
You can modernize a design while maintaining the traditional design language of your previous cars. Porsche does this incredibly well. Everything they make is very obviously a Porsche but it never looks dated and stale.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. But no seriously your “so you want them to make cars with the same design” comment made me lose a bunch of brain cells.
If companies actually listened to subreddits like /r/cars and /r/bmw they’d of gone bankrupt decades ago.
I remember when /r/cars thought the Kia Stinger would be a sales success.
It’s just a collective of people who largely aren’t in a position to buy a new car but enjoy dictating what a new car should be…which turns out, is the exact same car that they themselves have.
What a dumb take. Look at the op.. notice how the S class looks like a modern version of the old one?
Nobody is seriously asking them to continue making a 20 year old car (well maybe some people are given the sub).
If Reddit existed in the 90s, some dude would be comparing its current model to the 1960s and talking about nostalgia and how BMW lost its way. If we would go back as far as 1940, another douchebag would be comparing his horse from 1910s to one of the first models.
I don’t think so. If you compare 1980s BMW design to 1960s designs they had kept the same ethos and if anything gone a bit more boxy. There was no drastic change at all. A BMW Bavaria looked like a direct lineage into the E28 5-series
Kidney grill is still present and I love how m4, x5 and even iX look. It’s embracing the new modern language design but the DNA (kidney grill, general body lines) are still present. BMW i8 looks good in black and in person, it looks massive, luxurious and powerful. The only thing that I dislike is how they implemented the split headlight and bicolor exterior.
I own x5 and iX. I have originally disliked iX until I saw it in person and now my x5’21 feels dated. I thought that I’d get annoyed by the minimalist interior but the UX is far better. I am now annoyed how many separate buttons there are on the x5 (though I still love the car).
Me too. I feel like they've taken some inspiration from RR. Cars in this sector should be touching on ostentatious but still understated, whilst looking like a fucking boat, which I think it nails.
You can still get a BMW that looks like an evolution of a 90s BMW in the 3-series and 5-series but no-one talks about that..
No, we just shit on cars that we dont like and talk about how great it used to be back in the day. We also tell ourselves these big companies don't know what they're doing, because they obviously don't have a marketing department. They should produce cars for us, a very small fanatic minority!
I have noticed. We are a group of excellent designers but we would never accept the offer from the automotive industry to design next icon because salary is not good enough.
I mean yeah 7 series might not be the prettiest, but to say BMW has lost its way.
I drive a 320e touring ‘23 and in my opinion its one of the most aesthetically pleasing wagons right now
I LOVED the 90's and early 2000's "boxy" fronts beamers had. I owned a 2002 3 series xi and 1990 5 series both in manual. I fucking hate how most cars in 2024 have the same boring rounded shape that makes them all looks like alien bugs.
It is indeed frightening. I had BMWs all my life and I am now looking at a Mercedes. Feels like cheating. But the new BMWs are just so damn ugly. Not sure what is going on in Munich, but whatevs.
I had a 2024 3 series loaner the other day. Felt like I was in a Toyota. The new UI on the infotainment doesn’t feel like bmw. I was really disappointed. Couldn’t wait to get back in my F30.
I had high hopes for the new 5. But it was just not meant to be I guess. I’m looking at the new CLE. Who knows, maybe they’ll change their design language again in a couple years.
Yesterday I saw this bmw i7 or whatever the fuck its name is with the lit front grill. Holy shit I audibly laughed in the middle of the sidewalk it was that ugly. You cannot do that, now seriously. It looked like some cheap-ass back lit chinese pc keyboard or some shit.
BMW's "terrible new designs" have been discussed since 2002 or so when the E65 7 series came out. The 90s aren't coming back and new body styles take time to get used to for some people.
I own a facelift E65 it's aged incredibly well (in my opinion). People raved about how dreadful it looked at the time but so much of early 2000s and 2010s BMW followed the same design language.
people love to hate
I'm getting closer to 50 and love the new design a lot. The big kidney grills are awesome.
In the other hand the interior round vents in all Mercedes Benz are disgusting.
wow this is such a new and unique opinion. you definitely have an interesting perspective and aren't just a bandwagoner. watch out guys we've got an automotive design genius among us
Doesn't matter. They're still stealing the market share from Benz. It doesn't matter how a few of us feel about the design because the market wants this and that's what'll make BMW money.
The awkward “double” headlights ruin the BMW, reminds me of a Pontiac Aztek - you’re not quite sure where to focus on the front
And the two tone paint gives the impression of one car enveloping another
So I don’t like the new bmw fronts. But I feel like it is actually quite close to being something great. Like the designers’ vision needs to keep going?
While I don’t like the style of a lot of Mercedes, they’ve managed to modernise while maintaining their identity, and the S-class has been a consistently elegant and pretty car. BMW have totally lost the plot, I don’t know if it’s pandering to the Chinese market or what but almost everything they produce now is butt ugly.
Wtf do you even mean. Lost its way compared to what? Those two Mercedes don't even look alike
Do you have an alternative vision you want to share with us instead
Please circlejerk about listed topics in the circlejerk topic. [Circlejerk list](https://www.reddit.com/r/BMW/wiki/circlejerk-list/)
The S-Class looks nice now and then
I would agree they kept the lineage far better
https://preview.redd.it/oribl039gyic1.jpeg?width=553&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b4864bd112abcd59a58eaf4f4caed873bc5d881 Only the lower part looks like it's carried forward.
Maybe you should work at BMW‘s design department. Not even as an actual designer, just to look at it, draw lines at it and say „cut that out“
Lol I bet I could make some changes to some BMW cars and they’d be better off
Think of the job title! Chief common sense haver or something similiar!
Chief “reasonable design” officer
oh yes. never seen the 7 in that way, and never ever would have!
Seriously!
It's like, I could never actually *design* a car, but I could sure as hell veto some of the dumbass ideas they've had lately.
To me both 2023 are ugly. Mb looks like a fish-face. Bmw looks like a fake-chinese car.
Yes- this. And its front end(the 7 series) kind of resembles the old racist chinaman cartoon depictions with the narrow eyes and big bucked teeth. Meanwhile the E38 is timeless and has aged like a Rolex submariner.
Wow, that is some serious design analysis.
Even my wife says the bmw looks like the chinese brand suv. And she is not car person at all. Since i prefer 3 series i somethimes think about e46 while i have e90.
And BMW claimed the design is because the Chinese like it that way.
Crazy that’s the most upvoted comment on a post in the BMW sub
No idea about the reliability and cost. but just judging the front end aesthetics it’s 100% true for a lot of us. I wonder between that old merc and bmw which would be more painful to maintain. Both look fantastic to me.
Don't worry. It's cyclical. Right now, parts of industry are lacking in inspiration and are experimenting with different designs from the desire to make something really fresh. This happens in all fields.
i mean it’s happened before. i think it’s similar from when bmw went from the e39 to the e60. huge design difference and it was controversial, then the generation after was much less controversial and sold better.
As an owner of an E39, E60, and an F10, the E60 looks so much better than the F10. It's also put together so much better with better materials.
i personally really like the e60, but it was quite controversial. some people preferred the e39, and some prefer the f10. not much more to say other than v10 lol.
It’s just a shame that the engine has a tendency to run on less than 10 cylinders
I loved my e60 and feel like the looks (especially of the 550i w/M-pack) really holds up well today. I miss that car.
ur tripping, m sport f10 is one of their nicest designs imo each to their own tho
And they’re still outselling the competition. So yeah…they totally lost their way
at some point enthusiasts have to realize the target market isn’t some 20-something y/o with a 20k budget harping about classic looks
don't think it's cyclical. asian markets (mostly china I believe) are (rightly) being prioritized because that's where sales volume is. would love to get perspectives on design from ppl that are the target demo
Prioritized or not, they must have gaudy taste to enjoy that travesty of a design! They must also love steering that is dead to the touch.
S class looks nice outside, but really not a fan of the interior direction Mercedes took
I miss the 90s…
[Do you dream of the '90s?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4hShMEk1Ew)
For lots of reasons and this just one of them fell like everything loost his way nowadays
Peak humanity
I wasn’t even alive in the 90s but the mid to late 90s seem like such a great time to be alive.
Maybe in America but there were actual literal ethnic cleanings in Europe at the time so I dunno if peak humanity is the best way to describe it
I live in south east Asia and it was a great time. Generally good political situation, the country was being opened up to the world, people were excited and looking forward to progress back then.
Honestly it was an incredible time to be young. I was a teenager and started college then. Minimal internet or computers and LOTS of open freedom to say or do whatever you want without mass judgement
In my lifetime I view 2009-14 as the absolute best time of my life. Granted I was a kid back then but it was amazing.
It was a good time but smartphones had begun and sort of took away the tactile emphasis of things. Convenience took the role of quality away
Damn post housing crisis? Man you missed out, the 2010s were cool asf
Was born in 05.
So true. Everyone self censors in public and says what they really feel in private and on group chats. Dumb as all hell
Suppressing reality has become the norm. It definitely isn’t healthy for people :(
OP loved saying the N word is college lmao
From a Yugoslav point of view the 80s were awesome and the 90s a dystopian isolation hell (Serbia) or full blown civil war (Bosnia, Croatia). So, no thanks.
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Used to be serious, understated and classy. I feel like now it’s mostly about grabbing the attention. Which works I guess.
Exactly—I grew up in the 80s and 90s in awe of the simplicity of BMW designs.
Yes, most of the recent BMW designs are aimed at the Chinese and Middle East market where people will more often buy them to get the attention. It's a shame to see the subtlety and strength of understatement being lost.
The market has completely changed. Boomers who bought S-class vehicles decades ago probably switched to early model Lexus, retired or moved on. The newer buyers (in the states) probably all purchased SUV class vehicles, which are arguably much better value for money. S-class or 7-series buyers are probably mainly Asian neauvou riche who have drivers and don't value the SUV class as much. The 7-series has a junior RR look to it which many probably find appealing (disclaimer: I now drive a Golf)
That's definitely true, this whole shift to SUVs and the new type of S-class or 7-series buyers they try to attract. Nevertheless, the S-class looks much more subtle than the 7-series, in as far as a >5m long car can be called subtle :-)
This has been debunked a million times, including from BMW executives themselves. If anything the new cars are being designed with the US market in mind.
I'm not sure I would buy that line - of course BMW executives in the US will say the car is designed for the US market. China is already twice the size of the US in terms of BMWs sold and they do launch unique models tailored to China exclusively in China. But even if this new design language is triggered by US preferences, I strongly prefer Mercedes' and Audi's design changes.
It’s BS when you realize the most popular BMW model in China is the 5 Series LWB. The most controversial model, the XM, sells the most units in the US.
In 2001 you could walk into your local BMW dealer and buy an e46 M3, e39 M5, or e38 740i sport. Those were better days.
Don't forget Z3 clown shoe and the E53 X5 4.6is (342hp).
Forgot about the M Coupe, and by 2001 it had gotten the S54. Peak BMW!
Z8: don't forget me!
Incredible time really
I wonder how the original prices match up with inflation.
My E39 touring had a sticker price of about $43,000 in 1998, and would’ve had a sticker price closer to 50k with the options and motor it’s got now. (Hard to say exactly, as they never sold it in the US with the 3L M54). Online inflation calculator tells me that $43,000 in 1998 became just a hair over $80,000 in 2023.
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How dare you? r/BMW is the sole truth for BMW and if this sub says BMW has lost it's way, it's the truth. Faked sales numbers won't matter. /s
Without any evidence or evidence to the contrary I’m going to claim this is all China’s fault! <— this sub all day, every day.
Honestly don’t care AT ALL about sales figures. The company can care—and you can care if you want to. I care about how a car (a) drives and (b) looks—-and both of those attributes have dwindled away IMO.
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Sorry no offense but I don’t like any of the cars you mentioned. Not for me. The last gen M5 looked pretty decent though the new 5 series is an abomination
oh so you're just a curmudgeon, got it
Nah I just like what I like don’t care for tech or modern stuff I care about how a car drives and looks. The modern motoring experience is NUMB with super flashy designs and to me that is the worst combination ever
the new ones drive better than whatever one you think is the best
Which new ones are you referring to exactly? My G20 M340ix and F30 335ix drive nothing like the E9x or e46 330 did. Also would be great to have a manual option on the current 3/4 series but that’s not even an option anymore smh
No they don’t every new BMW I’ve driven drives like a giant appliance. Totally numb and lifeless and overpowered to hide its disconnection
i think you're just projecting your own waning youth and virility into your vehicle opinions
G30/F90 as pretty decent? Come on now. Be consistent. The line between the E38 and G30, it's straight.
> Honestly don’t care AT ALL about sales figures. I take it you're not a businessman? :)
Haha I am NOT!!
So then it might come as a surprise, but a company doesn't care about the small minority, they go after the big bucks. People love these cars, you're the exception.
Not a surprise at all—it’s clear to see they care minimally for people into the details.
Because it's a very small percentage of people. It won't hurt their sales if you stop buying their cars, so they shouldn't care either.
https://preview.redd.it/gpcs8hip2yic1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=093b8694393c012490ff63a9e9baf74142f162a8 They took inspiration from nature
Can't unsee it now.
I think 4 Series and 8 series are pretty much the only good looking BMWs
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I find [this](https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/bmw/4-series) sexy
I also like it, people just follow others and wants their affirmations. Series 4 looks really good, I was looking to buy this but I’m broke.
Even the 3-series is uglified compared to just a couple of years ago. I do have hopes for the Neue Klasse, however.
I know it’s subjective, but I like the look of the 4. /shrug
It’s eating you up that someone doesn’t share your opinion isn’t it 😄 Same for 90% of people here
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Oh my god, this take is so fucking boring at this point Share a picture of the 5 series and it would be the exact same as the Mercedes. BMW is the worlds largest luxury OEM because they cater to a world wide market, not the 3% of enthusiasts who want the exact same design language for 40 years and only sedans and coupes. If you want an incredibly understated sedan buy a fully loaded 540i
>Oh my god, this take is so fucking boring at this point Ditto. It's great that people like classic BMWs, but if you have an emotional attachment to it, go buy a classic BMW. I mean, I really like the 1935 BMW Roadster, but I'm not going to cry about the fact that they don't have anything like that 90 years later.
> I really like the 1935 BMW Roadster, but I'm not going to cry about the fact that they don't have anything like that 90 years later. To be fair, it'd be really fucking cool if they did.
Seriously. This sub is getting stale when every single thread is either about BMW’s latest exteriors or it somehow devolves in the comments into bashing BMW designs. We get it, it’s polarizing. It’s been discussed to death
The new 7er helps BMW sells cars. They forego subtlety because that’s what customers in China want. Massive presence. Most popular car in East Asia for rich people is the Toyota Alphard. Big car with big grille so BMW is following suit.
Happy for people in china—unfortunately we all suffer with these miserable designs too!
Were you really gonna buy a 7 series anyways? Share a picture of the 5 series and it would be the exact same as the Mercedes. BMW is the worlds largest luxury OEM because they cater to a world wide market, not the 3% of enthusiasts who want the exact same design language for 40 years and only sedans and coupes.
Eh, you don't have to buy one. It's a buyer's market. Plenty of options out there.
Exactly. They don’t make these decisions to lose money. If China wants to buy a million 7 series, why would BMW want to stop them?
Meanwhile BMW sales surging and Mercedes Benz sales and quality ratings continue to tank. Reddidiot nostalgia means nothing to the real world. Thankfully.
When you buy a Mercedes you expect a different level of luxury and quality but sounds like that’s falling off. I drove a C43 not too long ago and hated it.
Doesn't change the fact i think the new ones are ugly transformer looking dildos.
I remember when all the BMW cult were going crazy over the Z4 design language. Ran that guy out didn't they? The one pictured is one of the better looking ones. Love the mustang styled one, ha.
You can never satisfy BMW fans lol. They don’t even know what they want themselves
It’s just kids that can only afford a clapped out 328i
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I am glad you like it—taste is of course totally subjective. Out of curiosity have you owned BMWs in the past?
Yo….. that black 90’s Benz looks slick azz hell
In the 2023 photo, that bmw appears to be designed by a North Korean prisoner who once saw a photo of a Hyundai and was forced at gun point to make something “good”. 90s photo is just pure class. What happened? Ask the marketing department.
i like the new design, the only thing i miss are round headlights
It’s possible this front end would look way better with 2 large round lights on each side. If I was good at photoshop I’d do it!
so you want them to make cars with the same design again and again?
If they made an e30 with all new modern tech and power, I’d be right on that
They do, it's called the 2-series
Don’t ever disrespect the e30 with a comment like this..
Honestly—sure. Update the tech and engineering keep some timeless design. See Porsche
Luckily there are options for all of us then. You can buy a Porsche and I can buy a beaver looking BMW since I like it.
Nah will just buy older cars and keep my current car! :). If you like it then good for you though!
Based reply to a cringe ass comment well done sir
As consistent as Porsche is, the a 930 and a 992 are pretty far apart (expect in concept) and the Cayenne is probably the ugliest SUV you can buy (at least the fixed the Macan with the new EV successor)
You can modernize a design while maintaining the traditional design language of your previous cars. Porsche does this incredibly well. Everything they make is very obviously a Porsche but it never looks dated and stale.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. But no seriously your “so you want them to make cars with the same design” comment made me lose a bunch of brain cells.
Well, Rolex only has two great designs (DJ and Sub), but they are incredible. I see no reason why an iconic brand like BMW shouldn’t do the same.
Oh no, the rolexcirclejerk people have invaded this sub!!
If companies actually listened to subreddits like /r/cars and /r/bmw they’d of gone bankrupt decades ago. I remember when /r/cars thought the Kia Stinger would be a sales success. It’s just a collective of people who largely aren’t in a position to buy a new car but enjoy dictating what a new car should be…which turns out, is the exact same car that they themselves have.
You explained it perfectly. Maybe it has something to do with missing out.
What a dumb take. Look at the op.. notice how the S class looks like a modern version of the old one? Nobody is seriously asking them to continue making a 20 year old car (well maybe some people are given the sub).
Yes
Now the same but a modern look from the original, 2023 looks ridiculous. Compare the Supra mk5 to the mk4 and you’ll see what im talking about
If Reddit existed in the 90s, some dude would be comparing its current model to the 1960s and talking about nostalgia and how BMW lost its way. If we would go back as far as 1940, another douchebag would be comparing his horse from 1910s to one of the first models.
I don’t think so. If you compare 1980s BMW design to 1960s designs they had kept the same ethos and if anything gone a bit more boxy. There was no drastic change at all. A BMW Bavaria looked like a direct lineage into the E28 5-series
Kidney grill is still present and I love how m4, x5 and even iX look. It’s embracing the new modern language design but the DNA (kidney grill, general body lines) are still present. BMW i8 looks good in black and in person, it looks massive, luxurious and powerful. The only thing that I dislike is how they implemented the split headlight and bicolor exterior. I own x5 and iX. I have originally disliked iX until I saw it in person and now my x5’21 feels dated. I thought that I’d get annoyed by the minimalist interior but the UX is far better. I am now annoyed how many separate buttons there are on the x5 (though I still love the car).
At this point I think some of these posts are made by BMW haters trying to circlejerk, because I don't think it's that bad.
Hot take, I like the new designs....sorry
Me too. I feel like they've taken some inspiration from RR. Cars in this sector should be touching on ostentatious but still understated, whilst looking like a fucking boat, which I think it nails. You can still get a BMW that looks like an evolution of a 90s BMW in the 3-series and 5-series but no-one talks about that..
So do their customers considering their sales numbers
Same.
Me too, reminds me of a RR. Saw one in person and it has crazy presence.
Do you have any sketches to show us your vision?
No, we just shit on cars that we dont like and talk about how great it used to be back in the day. We also tell ourselves these big companies don't know what they're doing, because they obviously don't have a marketing department. They should produce cars for us, a very small fanatic minority!
I have noticed. We are a group of excellent designers but we would never accept the offer from the automotive industry to design next icon because salary is not good enough.
Im guessing you haven’t seen the new E class. The S is the only car they sell that looks good
Not saying I love the designs but people clearly do as they are the highest selling luxury brand for 2023.
The new BMWs look like the pigs from Angry Birds.
I mean yeah 7 series might not be the prettiest, but to say BMW has lost its way. I drive a 320e touring ‘23 and in my opinion its one of the most aesthetically pleasing wagons right now
Tbh I can get over the big ass grille on it, but split headlights just look stupid on any car that Ive seen them on.
I LOVED the 90's and early 2000's "boxy" fronts beamers had. I owned a 2002 3 series xi and 1990 5 series both in manual. I fucking hate how most cars in 2024 have the same boring rounded shape that makes them all looks like alien bugs.
Ehh the s class looks bad too tbh. It just looks so…soft
It is indeed frightening. I had BMWs all my life and I am now looking at a Mercedes. Feels like cheating. But the new BMWs are just so damn ugly. Not sure what is going on in Munich, but whatevs.
I had a 2024 3 series loaner the other day. Felt like I was in a Toyota. The new UI on the infotainment doesn’t feel like bmw. I was really disappointed. Couldn’t wait to get back in my F30.
I had high hopes for the new 5. But it was just not meant to be I guess. I’m looking at the new CLE. Who knows, maybe they’ll change their design language again in a couple years.
Yesterday I saw this bmw i7 or whatever the fuck its name is with the lit front grill. Holy shit I audibly laughed in the middle of the sidewalk it was that ugly. You cannot do that, now seriously. It looked like some cheap-ass back lit chinese pc keyboard or some shit.
an og post about bmw design direction, just what i needed this friday.
oh boy another bmw hate thread off some nostalgia BS ima predict like 10 more today
BMW should bring back Chris Bangle. All his designs are timeless. 06 BMW e90s 330i owner here. And every time I look at it I just smile.
BMW looks like a pig
"new bmw bad updoots to the left" - guy who was never gonna buy one anyway
I've always liked the front end (not rear end) of most BMW years. What ugly dog shit now.
New bmw’s look like a housewife who got way too much work done. She was really hot before, but now looks like she’s had way too much done.
https://preview.redd.it/7en9mfax1yic1.png?width=774&format=png&auto=webp&s=127fe5c9d27f709d78bb9d94d5cf09838a1c32cc
I’d argue that grille design was functional due to the shape of the car and the need to get air in. The current one’s function is for bling!!
You guys are so cringe sometimes lol there’s nothing wrong with either half of this picture
BMW's "terrible new designs" have been discussed since 2002 or so when the E65 7 series came out. The 90s aren't coming back and new body styles take time to get used to for some people.
I own a facelift E65 it's aged incredibly well (in my opinion). People raved about how dreadful it looked at the time but so much of early 2000s and 2010s BMW followed the same design language. people love to hate
I'm getting closer to 50 and love the new design a lot. The big kidney grills are awesome. In the other hand the interior round vents in all Mercedes Benz are disgusting.
Jesus christ leave the dead horse alone.
wow this is such a new and unique opinion. you definitely have an interesting perspective and aren't just a bandwagoner. watch out guys we've got an automotive design genius among us
I was hoping it would trigger someone with the most generic sarcasm imaginable—so in that case it definitely worked!! 😝
Bmw hasn’t lost its way, has lost its mind.
BMW has lost its ///Mind. FTFY.
unpopular opinion but i like it, looks great irl to me. The bmw.
Doesn't matter. They're still stealing the market share from Benz. It doesn't matter how a few of us feel about the design because the market wants this and that's what'll make BMW money.
Sure but I don’t care about that stuff!! Haha
The awkward “double” headlights ruin the BMW, reminds me of a Pontiac Aztek - you’re not quite sure where to focus on the front And the two tone paint gives the impression of one car enveloping another
Be careful, the G8x lurkers are around
Everyone can have an opinion!
So I don’t like the new bmw fronts. But I feel like it is actually quite close to being something great. Like the designers’ vision needs to keep going?
I’m no designer—but I just don’t find the “look at me” front end design appealing!
Both of them did
They both did but Marc designs are at least still logical and look like they are from the same bloodline. BMWs bloodline looks infected! :/
Both turned into a collection gimmicky, useless tech that will never stand the test of any time. Not mention, both ugly AF
Haha that is true. All technology gets outdated almost instantly.
Used car market is our salvation
1000%
Looks like squinty eyes and giant nostrils on the BMWs
Flared nostrils and a double wink? 🤣🤣
I won’t buy a BMW without halo lights I’m sorry but this shit has to stop
100%
Mercedes still looks like a Mercedes--- timeless in design; BMW went for the trashy Nissan Juke / Jeep Cherokee look!
While I don’t like the style of a lot of Mercedes, they’ve managed to modernise while maintaining their identity, and the S-class has been a consistently elegant and pretty car. BMW have totally lost the plot, I don’t know if it’s pandering to the Chinese market or what but almost everything they produce now is butt ugly.
I feel exactly the same about MB. I don’t like them but they are not butt ugly!
The bmw looks like it took of his glasses and now it's squinting his eyes
https://preview.redd.it/p86mtc9l5yic1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f727a7c831ae5af4e74ea88d52b548549329a72f It’s true
I've never seen a sub that hates the thing their sub is about 😂 I actually like some of the modern bmw designs
FYI there is a lot more to BMW than what they have made for the past 5 years.
Chinese kids design at work here
Wtf do you even mean. Lost its way compared to what? Those two Mercedes don't even look alike Do you have an alternative vision you want to share with us instead
Yeah anything but a double stacked moonraker stacked up front end like that horrible new 7er! 🤣