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      10-02-2006, 11:50 AM   #1
icedragon
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2-series styling hints

Has anyone noticed how BMW has provided us with some styling hints?

First of all, the front. Based on the new 3-series and 6-series coupes, BMW seems to take a more subtly-aggressive approach to its coupes, so the 2-series may have some more pleasing shapes.

The 2-series cabrio spyshots have already hinted at the front bumper design. Take a close look at these spyshots. Compared to the 1-series, the 2-er seems to have a more subtly-aggressive front bumper shape.









Secondly, the side. The 3-er and 6-er coupes have an interesting design characteristic where the the lower trim curves up around the door opening. The 2-er coupe may also have this characteristic.









Any thoughts??
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      10-02-2006, 01:53 PM   #2
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Those are great observations Icedragon.
Massive block-like front end and detailed lower side trim seem to be part of BMW's upcoming design dna for the 2-er....
the sort of treatment we've come to expect in the "M" series.

I'm looking also for sharper crease lines along the upper shoulder ala the 3-er coupe which you've pictured.
I think the cgi Harold uses for the site's webpage is a pretty accurate representation of what we'll see.

No doubt there are or were numerous versions of the 2-er under consideration. But by now, the die has literally been cast.
We should be seeing some images soon, I would imagine, of the real thing.

It'll be very interesting to see if BMW gives us a mild design interpretation that emphasizes smooth long surfaces
(which seems to be the trend of late vis-a-vis the 3-er coupe),
or they release something that is more balls-out adventurous.

Me, I think BMW is holding back a little too much-my guess is that the more expensive niche vehicles will carry the chancier designs.
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      10-02-2006, 05:09 PM   #3
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Agreed on both counts, the bumper does seem to be inline with other coupes from BMW such as the E92 coupe and 6 series coupe. Also I do believe the headlights will get a significant change from the sedan, only because this test car is so heavily clad with metal and tape. Usually if the shape of the headlights are already known, bmw will only use black tape to mask off the front end (as say with the 3 series convertable after the shape of the 3 series coupe is known), but when BMW makes a significant change they will clad the car up very heavily as in this case.. Look for this 2 series, 1 series convert, whatever they call it, to look a good amount different from the current hatch
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      10-02-2006, 06:40 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brookside
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I'm looking also for sharper crease lines along the upper shoulder ala the 3-er coupe which you've pictured.
I think the cgi Harold uses for the site's webpage is a pretty accurate representation of what we'll see.

I think you are correct. The 2er is targetted at the newer and younger (mostly 1st timer) BMW owner and I would think that generally this group is less conservative (from a design language perspective) than the 5er, 6er or 7er owner..
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      10-03-2006, 03:04 PM   #5
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I've been saving this article...relevant intriguing thinking here



Design Tendencies...

by Olivier Blanchard @ClusterFlog

I'm not sure how familiar lay-people are with the term design language but design language is used to describe the family of physical attributes associated with a particular brand.

We can speak of the BMW design language, for instance, and although the phrase might be confusing,
we can conjure an image of what a BMW looks like; we can remove the badging and see the car and know which company designed and made it.

What I am beginning to suspect however is that contemporary designers are spending more time creating products that reflect the design language of the brand than are perpetuating beauty.

For instance, it seems more important to create a car that looks like a Pontiac than to create a Pontiac that is beautiful.

"Looking at cars that were created in the sixties, for instance, it appears that the emphasis was on design rather than with branding.

For some companies (think Apple) the design language is beauty, to create extraordinarily aesthetically realized objects; in those instances, the design language of the company reaches for and achieves the exemplary. The design language of the brand becomes a byproduct of the beautiful forms rather than the master of them."

There seem to be two very different schools at work here in the world of product design: The first believes that great design will enhance or validate a brand (Apple is a great example), while the second believes that "design" is a branding tool that needs to be consistent.

The difference between the two schools is purely cultural. Some company cultures promote true design, while others prefer to use design as a means to remain consistent through an ever-evolving product offering.

Designers who are lucky enough to work for the first of the two get to design cultural icons like the iMac, the iPod, or something as old school as a Hermes scarf of a Birkin bag. Everyone else gets to design around a template. A set of rules and parameters. This isn't to say that the latter group isn't talented or doing "real" design. Not at all. In fact, you could argue that they have a tougher job since they have limitations to deal with. But though this type of design may not be earth-shattering or culture-shifting, it can be, nonetheless, at the core of a brand's strength. Think BMW. Think Cartier watches. Think Yves St. Laurent. Think Ralph Lauren. The idea here isn't to come up with revolutionary designs or works of art for the sake of coming up with a work of art, but when a brand concerns itself with aesthetics and impeccable style, you can be sure that designers don't mind having to work within the confines of a brand's framework.

The point here is this: There doesn't have to be a division between stale design language, and design for its own sake. Increasingly so, companies are becoming aware that being known for their consistently great designs fare better than those who are known for the consistency of their designs.

For companies like Apple, originality and boldness of design are the design language.

When it comes to Cartier, BMW and other luxury brands known for great design, what you get is a balanced mix of innovation and familiarity.

In the best case scenario, design and branding complement each other. The brand incorporates Design (with a capital "D") in its identity and celebrates both innovation and tradition in a symbiotic package that is both reassuring and cool. This is an enlightened, fresh and energetic approach to branding that has never, ever, ever failed a single A-list brand.
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      10-10-2006, 12:01 PM   #6
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Interesting article. He is correct in identifying successful examples of the brand-centric design, as opposed to trashing the concept altogether.

Not sure why Pontiac would want to make their cars look like a Pontiac, given the less-than-superlative brand image associated with GM these days. I've rarely seen a Pontiac I like, with the exception of the new Solstice, which look like nothing like any other Pontiac.

An element that I think the article misses is how brands may define beauty for a culture. It comes down to a perception of beauty that develops in each culture. One culture's positive association with a gap in the teeth (a sign of beauty for some African cultures) is not seen so positively in Europe or the Americas. American's have traditionally held a stronger association with bigger, more mulcular cars, whereas, in perception at least, Europeans have favored more compact and agile cars. Brand influence has played a role in these preferences.

So, BMWs are beautiful - no argument there. Would a BMW-looking Pontiac be as succcessful as the same car badged as a BMW? Probably not. I think the aesthetic of a BMW, while beautiful, is also representative of the quality and potential of these cars. It also reflects a lifestyle that incorporates the finer things. Whereas a BMW-looking Pontiac parked a at truck stop in the mid-West would have a different appeal, notwithstanding the design language.

All this to say, with wanting coherence, that while design language can be developed in a free environement or one with some pre-determined parameters, the perception of beauty or the appeal of the final product may be influenced in large measure by the fealings associated with the brand, as opposed to an objective assessment of beauty.

Just a thought.
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      10-10-2006, 02:54 PM   #7
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I like what you said Spud about beauty being perceived by various standards in different cultures.
I also like the idea of coherence being an integral of beauty.

What I see occuring is the return of the grotesque- you could say that grotesquery uses beauty as a model to subvert and distort.
A simple formula is one where proportions become more pronounced...



Lisa Yuskavage "The Honeymoon"



BMW Z4 M Coupe ALMS

The grotesque becomes a seditious excercise that subverts the structures that brought it into play.
Given the current authoritarian climate that's fueled by fear, the grotesque would seem to be a more accurate reflection of the times, rather than beauty.
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      10-11-2006, 09:41 AM   #8
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Another interesting angle, Brookside. Too much of a "good thing" is, in fact, too much.

You might say that in the car world, the manifestation of this is the tuner and/or hot rod culture, both of which eschew balance and proportion in favor of extravagant and sometimes grotesque forms. Seems more prevalent in the identity-confused North America, whereas in Europe, my perception is that the art of "improving" cars is more true to racing culture, a la AMG, Rinspeed, etc. The epitomy of grotesque excess for me is what tuners do to Escalades and Hummers, etc., what with the five TV screens and stereo systems that occupy 1/2 the trunk space, neon lights and adjustable suspensions.... Way overboard and proof that some have more money than good taste.

Personally, I can only think of a few aftermarket conversions I would ever want to own (unless the intention was to race it), as I've always favored the balanced design of the original car, particularly in the case of the finer marques like BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar and Audi. Aside from changing wheels and perhaps dropping the suspension a 1/2 inch, I've always found that the myriad of aftermarket tuner options mostly serve to distort the original concept, instead of enhancing it...

Needless to say, when I get my 2-series, I'll shoot for the best BMW has to offer (235i M Sport, please) and bask in BMW's unfettered interpretation of the compact sports coupe...
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      10-11-2006, 02:32 PM   #9
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Good thoughts Spud, but you take my words on grotesque too literally.
Automobiles that now are regarded as classics such as the Cord boattail, Bugatti Atlantic Coupe,
all had elements of the grotesque in their design in the sense of going against what was then regarded as the norm
by over emphasizing a design characteristic and then blending it into an overall pleasing shape.
And, I think it's worth noting that what many people think of as the golden decade of automobile design (1929-1939) occurred during vast social and political upheaval.
So grotesque slips into being a metaphor for distortion- an ecquivalency of the times.


Ralph Lauren's Bugatti Atlantic Coupe


Your point about California custom cars is well taken- but I think we all need to be reminded that California was and is a hotbed of car culture.
Most car companies, including BMW have design studios in the Los Angeles area.
De-badging, chopped tops, lowered suspension...all of these treatments have filtered into contemporary car design from California car enthusiasts.


1949 Mercury Coupe. Chopped, lowered, debadged.

Too often, in my opinion, automobile design has looked for balance, proportion and come up with something that is bland...banal.
Something that is the visual ecquation of a concensus opinion ends up satisfying only those who don't really care for the visual world.

My own hope is that BMW will begin releasing (again) chance taking design
throughout the range of models...maybe not in everything, but the trend of late seems to be more conservative than I've come to expect from Bangle & Co.
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      10-12-2006, 11:55 AM   #10
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I think that brings it full circle. Perhaps our enthusiasm for cars is a result of the tension between the various aspects of design and engineering. I'd say it's pretty clear, however, that our enthusiasm for BMW, while having something to do with image and branding, is more about a heathly mix of a consistent and thoughtfully evolved design language married with a fair amount of creative freedom to allow the design language to evolve.

For the 2, my hope is that it falls somewhere within the current design language, but takes on a purposeful and capable interpretation of it. Overall, my ideal would be that the 2 is to BMW what the WRX is to Subaru.
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      10-12-2006, 01:59 PM   #11
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I appreciate your comments Spud and the thoughtfulness of your posts.
I think you're right about the importance of seeking a balance in the evolution of BMW's aesthetic.
But I would like to see at least one new
design element appear in the mix rather than the constant re-massaging of what has come before.
The "2" would seem a perfect platform to advance BMW design rather than summarize and refine the past.
The worst thing they could do is give us an updated 2002 retro cute theme or a small version of the "3" coupe.

There is a design continuity that BMW follows- it speaks of stability and value.
But BMW also is synonymous with innovation and leadership.

They've recently proven that they can make a car that looks nearly perfect with the "3" Coupe.
But it is so refined, so handsome that it's hard for me to feel any passion about it.
I'd like to see something that takes a little getting used to...something that's more visually challenging.
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      10-12-2006, 09:37 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brookside
I appreciate your comments Spud and the thoughtfulness of your posts.
I think you're right about the importance of seeking a balance in the evolution of BMW's aesthetic.
But I would like to see at least one new
design element appear in the mix rather than the constant re-massaging of what has come before.
The "2" would seem a perfect platform to advance BMW design rather than summarize and refine the past.
The worst thing they could do is give us an updated 2002 retro cute theme or a small version of the "3" coupe.

There is a design continuity that BMW follows- it speaks of stability and value.
But BMW also is synonymous with innovation and leadership.

They've recently proven that they can make a car that looks nearly perfect with the "3" Coupe.
But it is so refined, so handsome that it's hard for me to feel any passion about it.
I'd like to see something that takes a little getting used to...something that's more visually challenging.
I hope so, but I am not holding out for anything really different with the 2. I see it being a mix of 1 series and 3 series coupe styling elements.
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      10-13-2006, 11:02 AM   #13
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Brookside, as usual, has a good point. The Z4 introduced a number of controversial design elements (notably, the peaked trunk lid). Initially I had some difficulty accepting them. As a Miata afficionado and former owner, I felt the roadster should celebrate history and not innovate so much. But over time I've become enamored with the Z4 (the M coupe, especially) and wouldn't change a thing.

I think I'd join Brookside in hoping that the 2 incorporates the same kind of innovation that we saw in the Z4.

Making another reference to the 2addicts graphic, if it is an accurate, however impressionistic, depiction of what is to be, I could see a few provocative creases and curves finding their way in... If it contributes the making the car look more purposeful and capable, as well as beautiful, then, of course, I'm all for it...
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