New BMWs

[Catmint]

I'll start off by saying I hope I don't insult anyone on this board who has a new Bimmer.

Having said that, I spent a few hours at a BMW dealer the other night (no reason, just had nothing better to do :icon18:) and I've decided I really have a problem with the new Bimmers. To put it bluntly, most of them are unattractive, some even downright ugly. The only one I would consider as being good-looking is the 6-series, and that's weird because in my opinion the 6 has always been the least attractive series.

I hate the door handles with a passion, they look like they belong on a Hyundai. The headlights are getting uglier every year (they're slowly creeping upward and backward on the car to the point where they're going to take over the entire front end like all the other cars nowadays).

I don't mean to bash BMW, they still make an awesome friggin' car and I will always own one no matter what year. But do you think maybe the older cars (say, late 80's and early 90's, the ones we are all in love with) were ugly for their time, too? In 20 years we'll see someone with an '08 and say "Man, you lucky bastid, wish I had one of those!"?

My biggest issue is that they're starting to look like every other car on the market and that's a shame because they used to stand out. Do you think if enough of us write letters to BMW they may listen to us?

Thanks for listening to me vent. I don't want this to turn into a "Bash BMW" thread, but would love to hear your opinions on the new stylings. Maybe several of you out there like it better, maybe it's just me.

[4ngie]

I wasn't a big fan of them at first, but they have serious modding potential. I'd definitely rock an E90 or an E60 anyday. They're growing on me. My E46 looks kinda dated sitting beside a new 3 now. :(

[Dan_UnitedBMW]

I like the new 3's, 6's, and X's. I don't like the way the E60 looks, even the E60 M5. I'd rather have the E39.

It's just personal opinion that it takes a while looking at the new cars before you grow fond of them. I hated the E90 and E92 at first, but now I like them! :)

I don't think the E46 is dated...... yet.

[Lsixer]

The 80's, man, those were the years of automotive design. I'll never get tired of looking at that style.

[500ZHP]

I'll start off by saying I hope I don't insult anyone on this board who has a new Bimmer.

Having said that, I spent a few hours at a BMW dealer the other night (no reason, just had nothing better to do :icon18:) and I've decided I really have a problem with the new Bimmers. To put it bluntly, most of them are unattractive, some even downright ugly. The only one I would consider as being good-looking is the 6-series, and that's weird because in my opinion the 6 has always been the least attractive series.

I hate the door handles with a passion, they look like they belong on a Hyundai. The headlights are getting uglier every year (they're slowly creeping upward and backward on the car to the point where they're going to take over the entire front end like all the other cars nowadays).

I don't mean to bash BMW, they still make an awesome friggin' car and I will always own one no matter what year. But do you think maybe the older cars (say, late 80's and early 90's, the ones we are all in love with) were ugly for their time, too? In 20 years we'll see someone with an '08 and say "Man, you lucky bastid, wish I had one of those!"?

My biggest issue is that they're starting to look like every other car on the market and that's a shame because they used to stand out. Do you think if enough of us write letters to BMW they may listen to us?

Thanks for listening to me vent. I don't want this to turn into a "Bash BMW" thread, but would love to hear your opinions on the new stylings. Maybe several of you out there like it better, maybe it's just me.

C.B. style cars. A big issue in the BMW world. Your by no means alone in your dislike of the new look. I myself can not stand the look of the E90, ugly as a Dallas Cowboy. There are really 100's of thread about the current look across many forums.
All that said I do plan on getting a 135i some time in march. Will really miss my E36.

[Catmint]

Angie & Dan, I guess you're right about the cars growing on you. That's what I was trying to figure out, whether the cars we like now had to grow on us as well. I still can't stand those friggin' door handles, though.

I was at the BMW dealer again this afternoon (yep, I was bored again :mf_popcorn: LOL) and there was a dark blue 3-series (can't remember the exact number) that was pretty sharp, it had that funky not-quite-a-convertible but not-quite-a-hardtop roof, and it was sort of half open. I kinda liked that car. ;)

C.B. style cars. A big issue in the BMW world. Your by no means alone in your dislike of the new look. I myself can not stand the look of the E90, ugly as a Dallas Cowboy. There are really 100's of thread about the current look across many forums.
All that said I do plan on getting a 135i some time in march. Will really miss my E36.

Thank you. I'm glad I'm not the only one. I'm new to the Bimmer world so I haven't read a lot of the other forums yet. I agree with you about the 135, they look cute in pictures but I haven't seen one in person yet.

[RP540i-sport]

I agree with Catmint! I think the older BMW's have a lot more character....and i am not saying that because i cant afford a new one....because i can.

But i would take another E34 or 88 M3 over any of the new cars any day! And even though i love my E39, in the pics with my E34 next to it i like the lines of the E34 much better.

Just my 2Cents.

[500ZHP]

Chris Bangle-Do any search your going to get a lot of hits. Here are a few. Do a search look over a few more. Will not take long to get more then a few views on the guy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Bangle

http://www.ted.com/index.php/speakers/view/id/6

The Stop Chris Bangle Petition

http://www.petitiononline.com/STOPCB/petition.html

[Catmint]

Wow, that's some interesting reading. So according to Wikipedia (I never fully trust that site and rarely read it) this guy Bangle's designs are being copied by the other automakers. So instead of my assertion that BMW is starting to look like other cars, it's really the other way around? Hmmm, interesting.

He also seemed to be a little defensive in saying they're not photogenic but look better in person. I beg to differ. Oh well. They're still great cars and I'm sure either they will grow on me or they will come out with some new designs that are more appealing. Until then I'm keeping my E39. ;)

[blackstig]

In my opinion, the new(er) BMWs (2000+) simply SCREAM OUT:

"HEY LOOK AT ME! I HAVE A LOT OF MONEY BUT NOT A LOT OF DRIVING SKILL, PLEASE LIKE ME! LOOK, I DON'T HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO DRIVE MY CAR DOES IT ALL FOR ME! BUT I CAN STILL CRASH!"

Pfft

-Stig

[Ania]

For God sake, DO NOT compare BMW to Hyundai! :nono:

[500ZHP]

For God sake, DO NOT compare BMW to Hyundai! :nono:

Hyundai is working to change there image. In the years to come if gas prices don't kill the market. Hyundai will be a competition for BMW.

[Philip]

Chris Bangle-Do any search your going to get a lot of hits. Here are a few. Do a search look over a few more. Will not take long to get more then a few views on the guy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Bangle

http://www.ted.com/index.php/speakers/view/id/6

The Stop Chris Bangle Petition

http://www.petitiononline.com/STOPCB/petition.html


Wow, that petition reads like it was written by a retarded person in Japanese then badly translated to English. Maybe I'm just a grammar nazi with a mild case of OCD.

P.S. Alot of you may not know this, but I frequently use my super-mod powers to correct all of your grammatical errors and misspellings. :)
I know. I'm nuts. :wet:

[mistertripps]

Ha Ha! Cindy and I have been known as the grammar police on other sites we frequent....:blink:

[Ania]

Hyundai is working to change there image. In the years to come if gas prices don't kill the market. Hyundai will be a competition for BMW.

So is every other manufacture. Everybody wants to be different and better then their competition. In the years to come, BMW will hopefully implement their hydrogen idea in all their vehicles. Hyundai has a long way to go to be ever able to compete with any German manufacture. :neenerneener: