4 ms·

The E46 and E39 are one of my favourite cars. Great looks and pure Inline 6 BMW feeling. Nowadays the design of most of their cars is unfortunately quite ugl

by tacker2000 2y ago

The E46 and E39 are one of my favourite cars. Great looks and pure Inline 6 BMW feeling. Nowadays the design of most of their cars is unfortunately quite ugly, not sure what they are aiming at.

mrexroad 2y ago
Amen. Still great cars, especially for the price, tho parts are increasingly NLA. My M54 is still going strong (compression terrific) other than my oil control rings could use a top end soak. Peak BMW design — inside and out.
netsharc 2y ago
They're still doing that "grilles as big as possible" thing, huh... Someone should take the pics of their historical models and add their idea of the modern grille onto each one...
- avn2109 2y ago
  Apparently the "big grill era" design chief departed semirecently, but the design inertia will continue through another model year or two, just due to lead times.
- woodpanel 2y ago
  the grilles are BMW’s answer to Chinese customers customizing their cars like that. Let their ugliness for ever and eternity be a testament to how whole swaths of western economies for over a decade confused „productivity gains“ with „skimming off China‘s growth“
spking 2y ago
https://www.thestar.com/autos/why-do-cars-look-so-ugly-famous-designer-says-he-knows-why/article_c6b0d4cc-c67f-54b9-aae3-36ba9a2f5ca4.html https://www.thestar.com/autos/why-do-cars-look-so-ugly-famou...
olyjohn 2y ago
I have a theory... I think it has to do with Chinese cars. You know how so many of the cars from China are kinda weird looking? Not all of them, but a lot of them are either trying totally new styling, or seem to be directly copying existing cars and trying to slightly restyle them. Well, since China is such a huge market for BMW, I think that they want their cars to look like they were designed in China, or at least to blend in with Chinese cars somewhat. I think that's what they are aiming at. It's the only thing that makes sense.

The E46 and E39 are one of my favourite cars. Great looks and pure Inline 6 BMW feeling. Nowadays the design of most of their cars is unfortunately quite ugly, not sure what they are aiming at.

mrexroad 2y ago

Amen. Still great cars, especially for the price, tho parts are increasingly NLA. My M54 is still going strong (compression terrific) other than my oil control rings could use a top end soak. Peak BMW design — inside and out.

netsharc 2y ago

They're still doing that "grilles as big as possible" thing, huh... Someone should take the pics of their historical models and add their idea of the modern grille onto each one...

avn2109 2y ago
Apparently the "big grill era" design chief departed semirecently, but the design inertia will continue through another model year or two, just due to lead times.
woodpanel 2y ago
the grilles are BMW’s answer to Chinese customers customizing their cars like that. Let their ugliness for ever and eternity be a testament to how whole swaths of western economies for over a decade confused „productivity gains“ with „skimming off China‘s growth“

spking 2y ago

https://www.thestar.com/autos/why-do-cars-look-so-ugly-famous-designer-says-he-knows-why/article_c6b0d4cc-c67f-54b9-aae3-36ba9a2f5ca4.html https://www.thestar.com/autos/why-do-cars-look-so-ugly-famou...

olyjohn 2y ago

I have a theory... I think it has to do with Chinese cars. You know how so many of the cars from China are kinda weird looking? Not all of them, but a lot of them are either trying totally new styling, or seem to be directly copying existing cars and trying to slightly restyle them. Well, since China is such a huge market for BMW, I think that they want their cars to look like they were designed in China, or at least to blend in with Chinese cars somewhat. I think that's what they are aiming at. It's the only thing that makes sense.