Reactionary

Um ok. But you do realize that a hell of a lot of people don't like them, right?

BTW, there is really not that much original about some of Bangle's taillights. The 7-series taillights were taken right off the old Chrysler Cirrus. The 5-series taillights are a modification of the old Infiniti I30. The Z4 and new 3-series taillights are original. I like the Z4's.

Also, the 5-series trunk line follows the edges of the taillights, which gives the trunk a very narrow look. Some other cars will counter this by having the trunk lines cut the taillight right in half, which allows the trunk to stay wider and look stronger. The 5-series trunk line looks so narrow like a much smaller subcompact car. Believe me, you don't want the look or feel of a small car in a $50,000 luxury mid-size. The new Acura RL is also a victim of a $50,000 car that looks smallish all-around but in a different way. The narrow effect in the 5-series trunk is exacerbated by the narrowing of the sides of the car as they reach the tail, an aerodynamic trait first seen in the original baby Benz, the 190E, and copied by just about every other carmaker ever since.

Outlaws eXtreme

I got the joke... thought Reactionary was perma banned.

rx8s2k

so revolutionary, can you explain whats wrong with the lights and the horizontal door line? i'm not quite seeing what you're talking about. i'm sure with such a radical change in the design language, there are sure to be a few malcontents, but over all it will be good for bmw and the evolution of all automotive design.

just a curious question, what is it that you do as your day job?

Reactionary

Well actually you talked to me about aesthetics.

Since you brought it up, I'll put my sense of aesthetics against yours any time in any number of aesthetic domains. I also started super young. But I don't like competitions.

dos

I'll have to see it first hand, I really can't tell by the pictures. I know when the 7 series came out I could not stand it, but now it has grown on me. I think the 5 series came out nice, and the Z4 is a improvement over the Z3. There are some interior pictures on Car and Driver, and they seem on par with the out going 3 series.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1

I would like to see what they do with the new M3.

Reactionary

I explained it in the opening post.

rx8s2k

i think you misuse the word flaw; i think you are talking about your personal opinion. there is no general consensus either way on the car. some people love it, some people don't. either way doesnt make the car the greatest ever nor does it make it full of serious design "flaws." your issue on the headlights sounds like an awefully formulaic way to design and create cars, much like the basic rule that if you continue the line from the a-pillar down it intersects the front axle(well necessarily thats not the best example, but its one of those things).

spork

Well, I thought it was funny. Irrelevant? Partially. Mean? Yeah, a little. Btw is it just me or does this thread kinda remind you of this one? :-/

Saint_Spinner

Yeah, just wondering...what do you do for a living?

dos

I don't like tacos without sour cream.

Saint_Spinner

I used to not like tacos with sour cream...but lately, if I remember to put some on, I enjoy it quite a bit. Ads a zingy freshness.... :D

Reactionary

I do something in science but as I mentioned in Terri Schiavo thread I never say specifics online.

Reactionary

The texture of sour cream is something that Bangle will never understand. I feel that both the taco shell's shape and texture are highly flawed in a Bangle sort of way.

Saint_Spinner

:D

Ike

I freaking love this guy! :D

Ike

A hell of a lot of people are whining about the new designs, but guess what... The 7 series has outsold the old 7 series and BMWs sales are up as a whole and Bangle is to thank for that. The people that are whining are the ones that like the boring and uninteresting two previous generations. I like them but overall they do little for me from a design standpoint. I applaude BMW and Bangle for pushing the envelope and doing something different with the design of the new BMWs rather than going back to their old formula. BMW hadn't put out anything exciting design wise since the old 6 series and the E30 M3. They needed a shot of adrenaline, something that would make the person that might not have bought a BMW take notice.

Rest on your laurels design wise and you end up being like Cadilac struggling for an image all the sudden because you realize your customers are dropping like flies. Or like Oldsmobile, or Buick where they aren't/weren't even making an attempt to capture a newer younger market. One of them has already folded and the other will most likely be folding soon.

Sure I didn't like the trunk at first on the 7 series, the taillights on the 5 series looked upside down, but I didn't pass judgement right away and now I like the bit of freshness they add to the car market. If nothing else they're a hell of a lot more interesting than the previous 3, 5, and 7 series which were great cars but nothing to get excited about from a design standpoint. The new cars are better in every way and are pushing the envelope a bit more from a design standpoint and I applaude Bangle for that.

truemagellen

I never agree with Reactionary but on this he is right...BMW is loosing it...the Z4's lines were completely out of sync with the car, it was a mess

Ike

I'm not a big fan of the Z4 either, but I think they did a great job on the new 3 series. If you haven't seen on ein person yet then I would wait to make judgement if I were you.

Reactionary

I'm just backwards from both of you. The only Bangle design I like is the Z4. I haven't seen the new 3-series in person yet so I'm going out on a limb here. The features I think are overdone or out of sync are the headlight and taillight balance, the taillight itself, and the wacky horizontal line.

BlueEyes

neat image of the progression of the 3 series

himitsu

I thought the car was ok... my brother just made a downpayment on 1.
Much bigger back seat than the previous model, complete with air con vents.

Decent power, nice handling.

Design wise, it was also not bad, quite conservative, I thought.

My personal opinion, I love the 5 the most, its the best Bangled BMW to date.
Then this 3 series, then the current 7 series.
Even though I dont quite like the others I wouldnt say I hate it either. I quite admire the radical step BMW took to reform their lineup.
Now at least they have a character, I can see a Bangle BMW from a mile away, unlike the other boring "seen-that" cars around. Speaking of which... the new 7 series... booooooring, lexusy... I hope Bangle doesnt give in and start making uber boring machines again...

KC_Prelude

Lets face it, BMW's exterior design reached absolute perfection from approx 1995 - 2000 and there is no way that those body styles can possibly be improved upon, they are perfect. All the new BMW's are horribly bangled, this one much less so than all the others. There is not even any debate about the issue, the cars just look terribly wrong. Most people who buy bmw's don't care what they look like, they are usually more interested in the badge. Just goes to show you that evolution does not always produce better results.

BlueEyes

I happen to like everything bangle has brought to the table, and think they are all improvements upon the old designs. But, if you say there is not even a debate on the issue, I guess I am wrong.

KC_Prelude

Yup, you are and you didn't even know it.

Reactionary

You sound a lot like me.