BMW reorganizing design team / staff (FAZ article)

[David Kunitz]

Bring back "Karim Habib"

[BimmerGuyFL78]

New BMW design team, if you’re reading this go back to your roots. Think retro designs. Aka. More around the styling of the E30, E32, E34, E36, E38, E39, round headlights, Appropriately sized Vertical grills within a big long horizontal grilled opening space that also encompasses the headlights like they did in the 70s and 80s. Get it right! Please for Gods sakes.

[tsbrown]

Originally Posted by bavarianboar

Yeah they are good in their own right and scream a particular segment with no real dna or legacy/evolving designs.

What would you say makes Porsche continue producing good designs? They all look like a Porsche, can’t say the same for Kia, and lately can’t say so for BMW either. Mercedes and Audi have done a far far better job at maintaining their own identities, they are not perfect though.

Every Porsche is a variation of the 911 design, stretched in length or height to add doors or clearance as an SUV. The family resemblance is definitely there. Kind of like BMW’s approach up though the E## generation…same sausage, different lengths.

[Ovnah]

This is the best news ive heard in a long time

[silverstar335]

Hopefully all new models and upcoming LCIs will start correcting the design missteps and bad decisions of the current design organization.

[junx]

It’s about time Jfc

[ChrisM4]

Design language aside if BMW are forced to bring in hybridization to the G80-82 replacement I’m buying the last year of the G82 (in manual) and keeping it forever. I actually don’t mind the front of the M3/M4, I just wish the M3 had wider hips and 305mm tires standard in the back.

[T-Rexx]

Originally Posted by Bmwlmr99

Great news seems like other cars are getting sexyier and bmw was just trying it's damndest not too

I disagree.
Park a current M2 next to the current C63 and RS3 and the M2’s looks are miles ahead and genuinely looks special where the other two look bland and boring.

[Mavus]

hard to believe the owners and board allowed lunatics to destroy their design language

CEO that is focusing only on cost cutting and has no passion for driving needs to get kicked out asap

[AlexFL]

Here is the Motor1 article confirming the shakeup:

https://www.motor1.com/news/733643/b...p-design-team/

[hb]

Originally Posted by AlexFL

Here is the Motor1 article confirming the shakeup:

https://www.motor1.com/news/733643/b...p-design-team/

I did a full story on this also. I had an interview with Adrian Van Hooydonk 1-on-1 a few days before the announcement. A bit more insight.

[Tallest]

Originally Posted by sg13

Too many ugly cars and models on their dealership lots!

There should be sedans ONLY for 3,5,7 and coupes/convertibles ONLY (that too if absolutely needed) for 2,4,6.

SUVs: X3, X5 and X7.

No EVs, not until they have a good selling record for 10 years from other manufacturers plus 350+ miles range. But I guess its too late for them to play smart like Toyota did.

If you dont sell EVs for 10 years and dont have the knowledge of building one, in 10 years youll be hopelessly behind, even more so than today and have totally lost the market, Now, you may be sceptical that EVs will take off, but they are there, they are growing in sales, and for wealthier clients they are absolutely an alternative and BMW is after wealthy clients. So BMW staying out will achieve very little.

Granted, you can make a pretty EV, perhaps like Porsche went with Taycan (arguably good looking) and Rivian (which VW bought I guess?) or Tesla (its cars look unoffensive) - and going at it ugly style like BMW is on ICE isnt a good idea. Yes. But just abstaining is not an anwer.

Or i dunno, make pretty car and sell it regarldess of tech, make it drive well, and hope thats enough. It wasnt for Alfa (before Chinese buy Stellantis so they have JEEP brand) but may be it works for BMW...

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by Msparta

I disagree here on the new gen screen setup. I think the interior design language is spot on while the outside design language can be a bit wonky.

The clean slate long form rectangular screen is prob one of the better looking tech in any vehicle / brand I have seen implemented.

Many brands try to copy bmw and the interior in my opinion is steps ahead of most all makes and models. It is almost a mix of what Apple and Tesla would be if they had a child (vehicle screen).

While all our opinions differ I also love the rear design of the XM while not so much the front.

I also feel design language from the last gen M6 is timeless even when compared to what replaced it the m8 (lines that resemble a mustang).

Perhaps this new design team overall can thank us for our varied and unfiltered feedback.

Long overdue.

I don’t have a problem with the screen itself or that it’s a big long rectangle. It just looks misplaced on the dash. Like you bought a monitor or tablet and just screwed it into an existing car. Even just a little integration would’ve been fine. The way it’s placed, it’s like it would snap off if you hit the wrong bump going too fast.

But you’re right, there are as many opinions as there are people.

[jmack123]

Originally Posted by Rafichicago

How about you’d leave personal questionable taste comments to yourself. Fantastic design indeed boxy not very much proportional to tall. I can go on but not a fan of beating dead horse.

Yea, I’ll agree to disagree. I’m sure far more people would agree with me than you that my P2 (for example) is a great looking car:

[bmwstephen]

about time. if it weren't for the performance of the current generation of BMWs, the design alone would have killed sales. hopefully they go back to sensible designs.

funny of all the g8x owners I know, for the first time they spend so much money on aesthetic mods than performance mods and the car still doesn't look right.

[reallymarkedup]

Originally Posted by NGT2

I don’t have a problem with the screen itself or that it’s a big long rectangle. It just looks misplaced on the dash. Like you bought a monitor or tablet and just screwed it into an existing car. Even just a little integration would’ve been fine. The way it’s placed, it’s like it would snap off if you hit the wrong bump going too fast.

But you’re right, there are as many opinions as there are people.

Have you seen Mercedes interiors the last couple of years? You want screens slapped on a dash, that's what screens slapped on top of a dash looks like. BMW's could use a few refinements, maybe a hood to help the look go one step further, but it's really not as awful as some of you all would have everyone believe.

[Prince_of_Persia]

Oh, great news! Hopefully, we will see a better design for the next-generation BMWs. The recent designs of BMWs have been awful.

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by drew310

Maybe next gen of M cars won’t be so hideous

well they couldn’t be worse!

[kgelfen360]

There is not going to be any significant design changes for years. All those cars in pipeline already. U might see something different 3-5 years from now.

[mbanck]

Originally Posted by hb

I did a full story on this also. I had an interview with Adrian Van Hooydonk 1-on-1 a few days before the announcement. A bit more insight.

This is this BMW Blog article, thanks hb :

https://www.bmwblog.com/2024/09/13/b...er-leadership/

[BigVegas17]

Pleeeeeeeaaaaaase bring back the angel eyes, BMW.

[mbanck]

Originally Posted by mbanck

This is this BMW Blog article, thanks hb :

https://www.bmwblog.com/2024/09/13/b...er-leadership/

From this article:

Oliver Heilmer [...] will now take on the responsibility for BMW’s entry-level models: 1 Series, 2 Series, 3 Series, and crossovers such as the X1, X2, and X3.

So 3 series/X3 are now lumped into entry level segment? I would have assumed they use FAAR/CLAR as divider...