Opinion of Chris Bangle's design direction with BMW...........

One of the best modern car styling ! ! ! He brought new fresh and future design. I really like his works . I am great fan of his first 7 series from 2001 - purely awesome !

I can understand that there are people that don't like modern BMWs - but this is only about private taste ! His cars are already part of a great automotive history that newer be forgotten !

Once I was speaking with well know designer about his cars , he didn't like them but agreed that Bangles design brought something new to car industry ! I think that this is very important matter !

There was a lot rumors about firing Bangle , but time showed that it was just wrong opinions of people that don't know a lot of design ! Remember that 7 series was best selling saloon in US !

Reg
Tad

P.S.
I'm sure that some of you already noticed my avatar

 

Actually for Phantom exterior project Marek Djordjevic was responsible !

http://archive.cardesignnews.com/news/2005/050926rolls-djordjevic/index.html

 

i know...i was corrected by another member a few posts up.

 

Part of the increase sales is due to expanding of model numbers, the aggressive downmarket approach (lower "entry" prices and models; financing/leasing) and that it's a BMW. All the luxury car brands are doing this.

As for BMW, I'm spilt. Some of the models look great, some of them look awful. The back ends on most of them are what turn me off.

 

I missed it . . .

 

I didn't grow up with those designs (meaning either for Ferrari and BMW), yet I still like those designs more then the bangles. Whatever, I will just keep my E38.

 

what do you mean by "lower" entry prices and models? The lowest price bmw is the 328i sedan at about 33k.

 

I have owned several/MANY BMW's in the past, until he came on board. Switch to Mercedes Benz after that. Absolutely the ugliest cars since he came on board.

 

Au contraire, I think a lot of us here buy BMWs and Benzes for our daily drivers, and probably are more familiar with import marques than any random sample of the general public. If anything, FChat people are predisposed to like performance-oriented cars of all sorts.

As posted above, a BMW is BMW, people buy it just for that. There's a lot of brand equity there.

The Japanese and Korean brands have never been known for being design leaders. There's a thread on FChat about how the Solara convertible and M6 convertible look similar, endless jokes about the MR2 having been a 348 ripoff, and now all sorts of Japanese sedans aping the 7 series' Bangle butt. The Asian brands are technical and quality leaders, but style followers.

There have been spy photos of the 5 series restyle coming out in a couple of years, and it loses some of the odd bits of the current design. I might consider that one, but the current generation is really quite ugly to look at (again despite the top notch driving experience once you're in it). It's disappointing because the e46 3 series (I had an '02 coupe) was the best-looking in its class, IMO.

 

I know the avatar, I don't think they got it.

 

The Banglization of BMW is the sole reason that my '01 E39 530 will be the LAST BMW I will ever buy.

Dave

 

The new ones are SO SO HOT. It will be my next car.

They look sportier and better lines. I know you old timers like the old stuff, but to younger kids (like me), I think they are really appealing.

 

Basicly , E39 was designed by Bangle as well !!! He is working for a BMW design since 1991 !!!

 

Im 35 so not sure which generation you want to lump me into BUT I hate Bangles work...

I had many new BMW from 92 to 2001... 325, 328, M3, M Roadster, 540i...Bangle ruined BMW for me.

Few years ago I went shopping for a 4 door..REALLY wanted to get a new 5 Series as I heard so many great things and missed having a BMW..well yeah..the car drove fantastic and the interior was beautiful but I just couldnt accept how downright ugly the car was. So I did what I never thought I would do and bought a Benz...which lets face it aint the greatest looking car in the world.

Recently I was looking for a performance coupe..looked at the 650 and again couldnt stomach the looks..its very japanese looking..

I know looks are subjective but lets be realistic here...can anyone recall any marquee being criticized as hard as BMW since Bangle took over ? Ever car company has some 'misses' in the design dept but BMW has been raked over the coals and for good reason.

Having said that the new 3 series is a step in the right direction.

Edit: I used to be in the special effects movie biz...and I was working with Spielberg ( only name dropping to prove a point) and one of his designers brough in a bunch of illustrations that he was very proud of. Spielberg didnt like them and the designer was going on and on about how original and unique and ahead of their time they were.. Spielberg turned to him and simply said ' different is not always better' . I found that to be very sagacious.

 

When it was time to replace my 98 750IL, it was not with a BMW.



Darrell.

 

At first I HATED them,
Then I started LOVING them,
Now their just O.K.
I know its crazy, but its how I view it.

 

Yeah, I know. That's why the new ugly 5's mystify me. Maybe he was on a tighter leash during the early years. Just about every auto enthusiast I know rates the E39 as the top sport sedan of all time. Just don't get it.

Dave

 

He's definetly not one of the better designers out there but despite his lacking the cars are still among the best thanks to BMW's engineers. The 7 series isn't as terrible as people think nor is the M6 but they are certainly flawed. Now as for the Z4 thats just nasty! Don't much like the SUV's either. The rolls royce is alright but I prefer the older cars before bangle. 3 and 5 series are pretty good though if a bit plain but at least he hasn't screwed them up

 

Ya know for the "evil two headed beast" he is portrayed to be by some he is a pretty good guy in person. Have had many dealings with him Nice guy.

Also as far as direction the only real court of opinion that matters is how are they selling


Well they are consistantly breaking sales records every year for the last 5

Me thinks it is working

 

I’m in complete agreement with Dave 328, the E39 5 series was the pinnacle of medium sized saloon car design imo, the new stuff just doesn’t cut it, they look aggressive, yet confused. I mean take the 6 series, it’s hideous. And the new Rolls Royce is too “in your face” for my liking, it should be elegantly understated, leave the garish stuff to Bentley, who oddly are now producing very dull looking cars.

 

I believe a Japanese designer designed most of the new Ferraris...

 

I owned an e39 M5 for 6 years before I bought my current e60 M5....the e39 looks like a ugly Honda Accord compared to the beautiful flame sculped lines of the e60...Bangle designed cars are the best looking sedans out there IMHO...

 

I'm 21, almost 22, and I think that the Bangle BMWs are some of the least visually pleasing cars in a long time, I rate them on about the same level as the Aztec, Element, etc... When I see one now, I have to make a point of it to look the other way because they hurt my eyes... and I think the mid-90s M5 is one of the best looking BMWs ever.

 

Look at all the other car companies tripping over themselves to get their Bangle imitations to the market. I see the double trunk lid on every other new car.

Bangle stepped in with BALLS. He made cars that have something to say. No, they're not for everyone, but neither is the alternative-- Wonder Bread with the crust cut off.

Their worst design was unfortunately the first, the 7 series, which is not bad since the face lift. Ever other introduction has gotten better and better, culminating with the new 3 coupe which is stunning. M coupe? Stunning. The 6 series, particularly in M form? Stunning.

These cars will look new and interesting in 15 years. Name me another mainstream car about which the same can be said?

 

[QUOTE=otaku;136150179

The 7 series isn't as terrible as people think nor is the M6 but they are certainly flawed.


Your kidding right. At the high end auction in LA, the first 1 1/2 hour of the auction is lemon law cars, otherwise known as factory buybacks. There are more 7 series cars than any other. These cars are horrible in terms of reliability.



Darrell.