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Originally Posted by Patton250
Oh Yes.
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I’m just wondering and would like you to level with me here. Obviously, for example, you like the grilles that are on today’s 3 series or M5. So if you were in control of BMW I take it you would insist that this type of grille was on every BMW vehicle FOEVER correct? I’m asking because you and others seem to feel that anything other than the standard design grille of the last 10-15 years is a bunch of negative names I won’t list here on this post.
I’m pretty new to car forums. It just never interested me. mostly a hunting, fishing, shooting outdoor type guy. So this has me wondering if on every brands car forum does a portion of the membership lose its collective mind when the manufacture changes the design of beloved models. A good example would be the Camaro. That bad boy has had complete makeovers many times. I wonder if those guys flipped out as much as the guys here do over grilles? Look at the new Corvette. Talk about change. Maybe I should mosey on over to their forum and see what the comments were back when the new design change pictures first hit the Internet.[/QUOTE]
A Very Good Question.
My thesis on the Grille situation is that if suits the car, then why not?
In regards to M3 and M4 of the F80 series? Many like that they and indeed other M cars were Wolves in sheeps clothing.
But there were clientele who would cry out for more aggression to match the performance. Clientele that despite the rumours,were not just from China.
The G80 series bring this with abundance. You can't deny that the sheep now was actually a wolf in disguise.
You can't say now that an M3 is just an M340i?
But it opened questions to other models also. Which is why the G80 series now opens BMW M for more differences between standard and the M Performance models. Distinction can not only be achieved through performance but appearance too. M cars going forward will introduce further new signatures to reflect its status as a BMW M. And offer that much wanted division from BMW M Performance.
I don't think the larger Grille suits all models which is why it will be used sparingly. With the iX, i4 and upcoming 7 etc... They are used brilliantly to keep the front clutter free. All sensors radar etc are all hidden behind the taller Grille. I think this is significant compared to other premium rivals where they stick out and clutter up the main Grille of the car. As an example Audi looks as if somebody has driven into a cardboard egg crate.
BMW has always had questionable debate regarding design. Even before the Chris Bangle directed production cars started to arrive in 2001. One example I remember was the 1991 E36 3er which I remember one E30 owner saying that it's got fat and bloated and now wears spectacles referring to the enclosed headlights introduced with the E36.
The interior with that single central air vent in the centre was also an element for design criticism. Because in general they took away the (E30) car's familiarity.
There is only so much that can be done with evolution compared to what can be done with revolution. There are iconic cars that use the evolutionary path to great effect.
Porsche 911 and MINI are current examples. And there are cars that cannot stray from the evolutionary path because their overall competence is desired by the customer both private and fleet.
Competent cars I would suggest examples as BMW 3er and 5er. The VW Golf, Mercedes E and S-Klasse.
If you are a leader in product design you have to keep moving in regards to satisfying the customer whether they are existing or new to your brand or product. Evolution gets you so far, Revolution can take you further.