It's official,BMW is dead to me.....

Well Chris Bangle became chief designer of BMW several years ago, and the first car produced under his influence was the new 7 series... which most people thought was hideous. Because people thought he mangled the design of BMWs, and his name rhymes with "mangle", they started saying the cars had been "Bangled" i.e. Mangled by Bangle.

Hahaha! That's great!

 

He has ruined the style of the 7 and the 5 series, this is no surprise.

 

We bought them because they drove great, and were low key, free of bling, 4 door sportscars. Now they're overwrought, distracting, and much less "business of driving" than they have been.
Reliability is in toilet, buybacks on 745, 645, and 5's are widespread. We're pissed, 'cause our daily drivers are now high maintenance ugly-a$$ cars with crap resale.
Since 94, BMW sold us: 325iC; M3 and M3/4; Mroadster;540i6, M5;Z8;750iL; and 2 Mini S. There isn't anything now in line we'd want. M3's drop motors, and new M5 (On list in 11/99 when we picked up 1st E39M5) is funny looking, albeit fast.
Pissing off a core, habit-buying, hard-driving family like my wife and I is a much bigger mistake in exchange for short term 1-2 car buy sales, no?
MB's don't have sticks, Jags are boring, the QP has no loaner program + typical FNA/MNA support(3 week wait for parts, etc.). So, WTF is left?
Bangle and more importantly the BMW board are deserting their core for conquest sales. They will miss us, someday.

PS, here is spyshot of new 7 facelift
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

What he said.
The 3 isn't too bad though, compared to what it could have been. I've ordered the M5, but won't be seen driving it. I intend on flipping it to a taste impaired enthusiast.

 

You had one of those, too? I've been following several of them on eBay recently. Hard to believe that they have fallen to low teens. I might just pick up another one if I can find one that hasn't been ragged or modified...

 

Wow that 3 series sucks balls.

 

It was my wife's, a 98. She still misses it. Conforti, x-brace, Pilots, swapped strut tower heads, etc. She and I used to hound each other in twisty bits...I had M5, would fill her mirrors sideways. What a grin.
Amazing BMW abandoned that market too. 330i sports pkg is nice, but it isn't an M3/4.

As always, Erik, nice taste in cars...

 

Mine was a '97 (black/mulberry with luxury package - the easier to clean wheels). Loved it (when it wasn't in the shop, I had a lemon). I think the fact that they abandoned that segment is proof that they would rather sell bling and trucks to soccer moms than low key sedans that would beg to be flogged to people that know how to drive. Its a shame really...

Lee, life is too short to drive crap!!!

 

Ha! My thoughts exactly. I love the current 330Ci, and I think it's one of the more well-proportioned cars ever built by any manufacturer, with beautiful but understated lines. The new one's ugly AND screaming for attention with all the random edges everywhere. Bah! "Flame surfacing" they call it. I'll flame-surface Bangle's a** if I ever get the chance.

 

I'm suprised no one here has mentioned Audi as a qualified replacement for Dave. The S4 just won C&D's comparo of 4 door speed cars, beating the CTS-V and the E55. I'm another that hates BMW's new styling, but I like the Audi's. They're a little bland, but they're good drivers and they're not butt ugly.

 

But he did say he didn't want high maintenance and crap resale.

 

... and a car that struggles to reliably make it to its next service. My Mum works for an Audi dealer ... if you want to buy cr@p, buy an Audi!

Pete

 

You insult the TSX.

 

That was the C55.

 

The new 3 series has the appearance of a half eaten lozenge. It is awful, as is the 5 series with its pinched tailights, and the 7 series with Brezhnev eybrows. The Z4 looks like performance art with hot clay and guillotine. They have lost their way, and it makes me sad.
I might one day pick up a 2000 M5, or an older 840/850, but I am not touching the Bangelized cars.

 

I actually dont think that the new 3 is that bad - I sorta like it..

I do agree that the 7 is bad and the 5 is not great either. Both of their predecessors were classy - too bad they messed em up.

The current 3 is great - I like my M3, reliability has been OK (not brilliant)..

 

I had a time when my affinity ventured from MB to BMW, but now I find the E-class to be so gorgeous compared to the 5 series that it would take a LOT more to convince me to not take the E. If only they had a manual MB then things could be right. After all, I would buy a car like this for daily running around and freeway cruising, and have a more purpose-oriented car for my "sports" feel (ie. a Ferrari!).

 

Sad. Not only is the exterior styling ugly, the dash looks like something from a 1980's Plymouth K-Car.

 

I'll be the first to outright say it, without qualification, I LIKE THE STYLING. I believe that this is definitely something that is "attractive" to me now, and in time, it will grow on me to become beautiful.

That said, I do think the interior is a step backwards.