Quote:
Originally Posted by bobert
I agree about the "points of reference" - witness the protests when a few of the recent BMW model introductions (the new 4er among them) abandoned the Hofmeister Kink (just one example). Common/iconic design cues need not significantly restrain the overall design - it simply helps make a new car look "like a BMW".
Also agree BMW are very aware of the polarized reactions to the new M3/M4 - and I bet they like the general reaction. When the 7er was dramatically redesigned in 2001, it got a lot of attention, most of it negative. Yet we know what happened after that - ppl went out and bought a ton of them. I proffer that many of these early 21st century 7-series buyers bought it cz they wanted to be seen in a car that ppl were talking about - something getting a lot of attention. It doesn't matter that most of the attention was negative - they just wanted any attention, sort of like when your dog misbehaves when you're ignoring it (a scolding is apparently better than being ignored).  |
Your bet is correct (but beware of marketing talk - a CEO defends his products):
"Question: Some BMW fans, as their comments on social media show, are appalled by the huge BMW kidneys that adorn the front of new models. What to make of the new Munich opulence ?
Zipse [BMW CEO] (laughs): BMW history shows that our kidneys have always evolved. In the 1950s, for example, these were very vertical. Then these became smaller and flatter again. It's good that our kidneys are in motion. Because the kidneys are a symbol of BMW. We are pleased when people write about the BMW kidneys. The worst thing would be if no-one noticed that something was happening at BMW. The new kidneys are an eye-catcher that you have to get used to, because it's also about BMW's design language for the future. By the way, we are getting a lot of encouragement for this new design language."
"Manche BMW-Fans sind, wie ihre Kommentare in sozialen Medien zeigen, entsetzt über die riesige BMW-Niere, welche die Front von neuen Modellen ziert. Was ist von der neuen Münchner Üppigkeit zu halten?
Zipse (lacht): Die BMW-Geschichte zeigt, dass unsere Niere sich immer weiterentwickelt hat. In den 50er-Jahren zum Beispiel war sie sehr senkrecht. Dann wurde sie wieder kleiner und flacher. Es ist gut, dass unsere Nieren in Bewegung sind. Denn die Niere ist ein Symbol von BMW. Wir freuen uns, wenn über die BMW-Nieren geschrieben wird. Das Schlimmste wäre doch, wenn keiner merkt, dass sich bei BMW etwas tut. Die neue Niere ist ein Hingucker, an den man sich gewöhnen muss, geht es hier doch auch um die Designsprache von BMW in der Zukunft. Wir bekommen für diese neue Designsprache übrigens viel Zuspruch."
(source: here [December 2020 interview] - see also here)