Nowadays, the moderate-sized carmaker spews a much larger set of models while letting the Driving Machine marketing concept wither.
Worse, from a styling perspective, BMW designs have become unattractive, especially where front end appearance is concerned. I realize that there are car buyers who value other aspects of a vehicle more than its styling. I fall into that category regarding my 2019 Toyota RAV4. But that RAV's design isn't all that awful, so I could ignore it. But BMWs launched since around the year 2020 are mostly so ugly up front that I would shun them if I were shopping for a new car.
As can be seen in the Gallery below, many recent BMW grilles (and faux-grilles on electric models) are large and heavy-looking -- adding unnecessary (in my judgment) visual weight up front. Additionally, some internal grille "bar" designs are strange.
I wonder what BMW marketers, product planners, stylists and management were thinking when this new design direction was launch and continued.
All that said, let's take a look.
Unless noted, images below are BMW publicity photos.
This new design has what I consider an unnecessarily heavy looking front end. And it doesn't relate well to the rest of the car.
This has the 2-nostril grille shape of 1950s BMWs, a strong brand identification feature. Two-segment designs are continued up to the present.
The firm's sales breakthrough model. Again, simple front end styling.
My wife owns one of these. Very attractive variation of the basic theme.
Now we're into the 2020 decade. Massive BMW grilles began to appear a few years earlier on some models.
Compare to the front of the 2013 328i pictured above. This is very bold, and pretty ugly.
Similar "grille" shape, but different context and detailing.
A functional grille of the same ilk.
Every time I see one of these front ends I curse whoever approved that "bar" pattern for production. Those diagonals mated to verticals in essentially equal proportions are a senseless design for an automobile.
A recent electric car. As usual, a too-huge "grille," but the diagonal "bars" are acceptable when used exclusively.
An electric SUV. This design harkens to the early nostrils shown here, and might be useful on coupes. Not as heavy as the other recent designs. That more recent 2027 i7 frontal design at the top of the Gallery aside, I hope BMW styling begins to follow this concept.
