The redesigned BMW 4 Series Coupé (Wikipedia entry
here) is a few months from appearing in showrooms as I draft this post (July), but photos are available on the Internet.
Those images are of a car painted white, which means that subtle areas of body sculpting can't be seen clearly. Nevertheless, I'm writing about the new 4 Series because of its grille design, a new variation on BMW's traditional two-element "nostrils" format. Each element is seven-sided with angles softened slightly by sharp-radius curves. Also, the size of the assembly is large.
Those two features -- rather geometric outlines and large size seem to be a new styling direction for BMW. For example, the new 7 Series sedan has a large grille ensemble and the the concept version of the 4 Series as well as the Concept i4 electric car have large, angular grille shapes.
The images below juxtapose the previous 4 Series with the 2021 version.
Gallery
Previous 4 Series Coupé. Generally a nice design, though I quibble with the linkage of the headlight assemblies and the grille frame.
The forthcoming 4 Series. As mentioned, body sculpting isn't easy to understand, given the white paint job that virtually eliminates highlights. The upper side character line is shorter and there seem to be subtle bulges at either end.
Seen from the side, there are differences, but the styling theme is carried over in the redesign.
Rear styling on the 2021 car is cliché-ridden like the earlier model. But sculpting is more rounded off, creating a softer effect.
Front of the 2021 4 Series. From this photo it's hard to tell how much of the "openings" are actually functional air intakes. Note the nostril outlines, the "teeth" interior décor and the relationship of the BMW symbol to the ensemble. My main complaints are the size of the ensemble and the tacked-on appearance of any license plates required at the front. The nostril outlines are an interesting new variation on a theme that has had many such variations of the last 90 years.
The Hoffmeister Kink has been stretched to such a degree it's pretty much not there, an interesting choice considering it's ubiquity in BMW styling. The rear end from the B pillar back also makes me think of the Audi A5 Sportback or what ever the hatchback was called. I imagine a side by side would prove me wrong but it was the thought that popped in my head when I saw the BMW from that 3/4 rear angle. The new grille is bold, but I've never been very fond of number plates planted in the centre of a grille, it just seems like an afterthought.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's not a Hoffkink if it doesn't do a reverse from the upper window opening slant. And the license plate is particularly distracting because it bridges across two just barely separate openings (which will be mostly not open). It's odd that like Audi the grille is bigger and more angular, and then the side is less angular having lost the upper sculpture line. And the reverse angle of the lower one behind the front wheel looks wrong. It doesn't go with anything. Maybe that's the new Hoffkink.
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