Bangle

[FlippiN.af]

Originally Posted by KustmAce

I think the New Beetle was done right...

yes...I agree with that. I still would never drive one..

[drunken monkey]

in my mind, chris bangle equates to frank gehry.

thing designed by them occasionally look good but for the most part is more concerned with having a particular look rather than just plain old looking good.
sure they will eventually have moments of genius but once that has passed, they should let it go and move on and really find new things to do instead of doing the same thing again. Of course, i know that much of this is market driven but still, for amoint of praise heaped on him as being one of the true car design innovators, I just expect more.

[DinanM3_S2]

First of all, many of the designs accredited to Chris Bangle were actually designed by Adrian Van Hooydonk. Bangle is head of the styling department, but he actually does very little with pen and paper anymore. Hooydonk was the one that actually penned out cars like the E60.

I was one of the many to jump onto the "I hate all new BMW styling" bandwagon. I thought that 2001-2002 was the height of all BMWs. The E46, E39, E38, Z3, M Roadster, and M Coupe were all wonderful cars and I was afraid to see them change. I hated the E60 5-Series and the E65 7-Series. His "flame styling" just didn't work for me. It was the end of the world, my beloved BMW was dieing.

Except it didn't, and now every single one of Bangle's cars have grown on me. The E90 sedan makes the E46s look old and outdated. The E60 has a presence that you didn't get from the E39, and the new M5 is stunning in person. The 7-series didn't grow on me until the facelift where they changed the trunk and lights a bit, but now it is probably my favorite large luxury sedan. The Z4 is becoming a cooler and cooler roadster, especially the new M Roadster. The new M Coupe looks fantastic. I can't judge the E92 until I see it in person, but from pictures I liked it right away.

Like his designs or not, you have to respect Chris Bangle. His cars are all completely origional. They grab your eye like few other cars do. More and more, other companies are actually starting to copy his designs. Mercedes-Benzes are pathetically boring, the only Porsche that looks different then the ones from 30 years is the Cayenne, Jags havn't changed much in years, and the biggest trend in styling is to go back to the 60's or 70's, but BMW is trying its hardest to set new trends with origional styling. Look at it this way, is there any modern car designer out there that that is as well known as Chris Bangle? I think not. Despite the amount of criticism he's recieved from journalists and people like us on the internet, his designs are a huge sales success. Right now, BMW is the best selling premium brand in the world, breaking 1,000,000 cars/year in 2004.

[Lownslow]

i was one of the bashbangles like Dinan but like he said his style ended up growing on me. as far as retro frod,chrysler and VW are the only ones to actually pull off the retro look GM tried but screwed up with its 2 attempts

SSR too slow, too expensive
HHR too late,overpriced and mundane design
Camaro SS, its gonna end up like the GTO

[vinnym86]

Originally Posted by DinanM3_S2

I was one of the many to jump onto the "I hate all new BMW styling" bandwagon. I thought that 2001-2002 was the height of all BMWs.

+1

Originally Posted by DinanM3_S2

Like his designs or not, you have to respect Chris Bangle. His cars are all completely origional. They grab your eye like few other cars do. More and more, other companies are actually starting to copy his designs. Mercedes-Benzes are pathetically boring, the only Porsche that looks different then the ones from 30 years is the Cayenne, Jags havn't changed much in years, and the biggest trend in styling is to go back to the 60's or 70's, but BMW is trying its hardest to set new trends with origional styling.

+2

Originally Posted by DinanM3_S2

Look at it this way, is there any modern car designer out there that that is as well known as Chris Bangle?

Pininfarina?

Originally Posted by DinanM3_S2

^that car was so much more beautiful in blue and in person.

[DinanM3_S2]

Originally Posted by vinnym86

Pininfarina?



^that car was so much more beautiful in blue and in person.

Well yes, there is Pininfarina, but can you name who's in charge of it or who does the artwork?

I agree on the M Coupe, the mystic blue does look better.

[vinnym86]

Originally Posted by DinanM3_S2

Well yes, there is Pininfarina, but can you name who's in charge of it or who does the artwork?

no lol , but i know its owned by old man batista's son Sergio, i don't know if he's behind the designs though...

[Heep]

I meant E92 is a huge jump from E46 in terms of numbering

Originally Posted by DinanM3_S2

I thought that 2001-2002 was the height of all BMWs. The E46, E39, E38, Z3, M Roadster, and M Coupe were all wonderful cars and I was afraid to see them change.

Like his designs or not, you have to respect Chris Bangle. His cars are all completely origional. They grab your eye like few other cars do. More and more, other companies are actually starting to copy his designs. Mercedes-Benzes are pathetically boring, the only Porsche that looks different then the ones from 30 years is the Cayenne, Jags havn't changed much in years, and the biggest trend in styling is to go back to the 60's or 70's, but BMW is trying its hardest to set new trends with origional styling. Right now, BMW is the best selling premium brand in the world, breaking 1,000,000 cars/year in 2004.

*Shudder*

E46 was fat and bland. E21 E39 was fat and bland. E34 E38 was damned good. M Coupe and Z8 were good, other than that.........

I love the Z4 but the new M Coupe is boring. Looks just like any other fastback sports car. Old M Coupe was distinctive and practical with that roofline

CLS and SLR aside, MB designs are very boring, but they should be more boring, like they used to be. People who want a MB (at least always used to) buy them for silent, graceful prestige matched by solidity and longevity, not cutting edge styling. Jag is stuck in the '60s, as is Porsche.

As far as BMW's popularity, that just makes me want one 10 times less :

[Jimster]

The E36 was the height of BMW sedan styling.


Yes I said it.


PS Mark if you don't put the E31 on your list I'm going to personally drive to Canada and beat you with a frozen fish, I don't care if I have to drive over oceans, it's worth the risk of sinking

[DinanM3_S2]

Originally Posted by Jimster

The E36 was the height of BMW sedan styling.


Yes I said it.

Ahem...


The E39 and E46 were much smoother cars then the E36. As much as I like the E36, it just looks old sitting next to a E46 or an E90.

[Heep]

Originally Posted by DinanM3_S2

The E39 and E46 were much smoother cars

Smooth = curvy = rolls = fat.



E31 was one of the few outstanding modern BMWs, along with M Coupe (old), Z8, and E38.

[blindside.AMG]

Meh, BMW is going down the shitter anyways. The X3 is just the beginning of that long journey down the toilet. <-- there's the bait.

[DinanM3_S2]

Originally Posted by Heep

Smooth = curvy = rolls = fat.



E31 was one of the few outstanding modern BMWs, along with M Coupe (old), Z8, and E38.

Those may be your favorites, but the 8-series, M Coupe, and Z8 are some of the least successful BMWs since the early 90's. The E46 and E39 are considered by many to be two of the best looking sedans under 50-60,000 ever, but to each his own.

Originally Posted by blindside.AMG

Meh, BMW is going down the shitter anyways. The X3 is just the beginning of that long journey down the toilet. <-- there's the bait.

I'm going to have to disagree with you there. Sure, the X3 isn't the best of vehicles, but look at some of the models that have came out since then. The E60 M5 is the king of all sedans (yes, its better then a S65, 760Li, A8 W12, or a Quattroporte), the new M Roadster and M Coupe are great, and I would say the E90 is still the best looking car in its class. The X3 hardly marks the downfall of BMW, but was an occasional dip in what has generally been a very successful lineup of cars.

I feel that many of the people on here are starting to judge BMWs future on its styling, but the way BMWs look has never been what has made them great cars. BMWs have always been great because of the way they drive and the new ones are no different. The cars are steadily becoming higher tech, more powerful, and better to drive. Comment on the styling all you want, but BMW is still doing what it has always done best.

Seriously, if styling is all that matters, a BMW probably isn't for you.

[drunken monkey]

to be fair, the Z8 was a limited production car.
as far as i am aware, the production run sold in pretty quick time and i don't see many coming up for sale.

[Jimster]

Originally Posted by blindside.AMG

Meh, BMW is going down the shitter anyways. The X3 is just the beginning of that long journey down the toilet. <-- there's the bait.

R Class, B Class, all the unreliable Mercs of the last 10 years.



There's the bait



Dinan.... The E36 is beautiful, all the squared off lines of the E34, but subtle lines that give it a very modern look, like the way the boot lightly slopes inwards etc. It's BMW's best ever tail-light/headlight design as well.

It'd still look perfectly in place as a 2006 release, that's how timeless it is.