Och

iTrader: (3)

Bangle is an idiot, his time with BMW was the era of ugliest BMWs in history, and now that he's gone BMW is making the best looking vehicles bar none. There's not a single current BMW model that doesn't look great.

Good riddance.

-J-P-L-

And how was Bangle's influence any more forward thinking or innovative than today's designs? Some awkward creases here and there called flame surfacing was a break through? I think not. Or a trunk that was closed but looked open was a good idea? Bangle isn't the genius he thinks he is.

You want forward thinking and innovative, I'll show you a Prius. It's design is dramatically more advanced than anything Bangle was responsible for. It's a glimpse of what a lot more cars will look like 20 years from now. The high levels of efficiency required will necessitate it.

LexFather

The Prius is not a great design and you are talking about the overall car. What Bangle did is nearly unprecedented in a luxury brands history and even more crazy when we know BMW is family owned. He took it from the current Audi same damn thing over and over different size and made BMWs all look different while still sharing traditional cues. I never said they were beautiful, far from it in some cases but he transformed and pushed BMW to the forefront of design good or bad.

His interiors were called living rooms back in 2003. The dual dash was out of this world and the idrive/**** incorporated in the design was clearly ahead of its time. Today everyone from Benz, Lexus to some mainstream brands followed his interior design.

BMW always had the quad headlights, he took them to the next level with angel eyes which are now LED.

His Bangle Butt is still used today and we may never seen another V-10 sedan ala E60 M5.

Bangle also was right on time for his time, when everyone was flashy and spending money. Its amazing to me how I much MUCH prefer the current 7 series and think its pretty much perfect and its like it doesn't exist. No one talks about the car. Contrarily the previous gen, which many thought flat out ugly, was seen as a "got to have" flagship sedan and was seen everywhere, from celebrities to modders.

My posiiton on Bangle has done a 180 as I was a harsh critic. But the man is THE MAN

Och

iTrader: (3)

^

I guess you have some point, but still Bangle era BMW's were just simply ugly, and whatever innovations there might have been, their execution was a joke. They couldn't even get damn cupholders right.

Nobody talks about the current 7 because the last gen was such a letdown that people are steering clear from it.

LexFather

Hey I never said they were pretty .... We complain today how all BMWs look the same (I mean I confuse them now all the time) and the new X5 doesn't even look new so Bangle looks more of a genius today.

Thing is it seems it doesn't seem to matter what they look like, BMWs sell.

swajames

I agree with Blueprint. Some focus on the 7, but many regard the E46 3 Series as a high point in BMW design - and it was designed under Bangle's watch. What's more, his cars stood out. The current F30 3 Series, F10 5 Series and F01 7 Series are essentially one sausage sold in three different lengths. Handsome, but ultimately bland and conservative. Nothing wrong with that, but Bangle's design language was a mould breaker whereas BMW's current cars are rule followers. With that said, the current cars are to my mind an evolution of the cars that preceded them. There's more of the Bangle influence in current BMW's than some care to admit.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

bmw's are like louis vuitton stuff - people who buy 'em often aren't even sure why they did, but they're drawn to them.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Well, they did get a lot of things right in the last few years. They may all look the same, but they all look good. Back in 04-08 the only good looking BMWs were x5 and 3 series coupe. They fixed all the interior issues, tremendously improved i-drive, and got proper cup holders!

Current BMW may be mere evolution of Bangle's ideas, but I'd rather have evolution than radically new stuff every time that is half аssеd and poorly executed.

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

Bangle is my hero. The E65 changed the game. People complained immensely but the cars sold big time. Instead of BMW supporting Bangle, the raked in all the cash and left Bangle to the wolves. Post Bangle, BMW's get plainer and plainer every year. He should have another chance somewhere else.

bruce van

Good design improves on the status quo. GREAT design breaks the mold and takes rights and can polarizing.

People remember the Bangle era cars. The 7, the 5 the Z4. Some love them, some don't.

What can you say about the current BMW lineup? Their cars are really nice, but do you lust after the 7 series? Is the 5 as distinctive as it used to be? The previous generation 5 series was a style on its own. It wasn't a smaller 7 series.

Yeah, we all agree the current BMW lineup is nice, but does it push the boundaries or challenges design? Not like it used to.

That's the point. Bangle is a designer and he isn't the type to just be happy with slight improvements with the status quo. I respect him in that regard. Love him or hate him, he has had a profound influence on automotive design.

Blackraven

I heard he has his own design studio

Also, I heard that he's now part of the design committee of SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS

RNM GS3

Never liked Bangle as he did make som of the most UGLY BMWs - E60 5Series, Current E82 1Series.

But i really like the E65 7Series - That was such a revolutionary car in terms of styling and Tech.

I also LOVE the Design of the E85 Z4 Mcoupe - Car looks more futuristic than the cars out today. IMO it is the BEST example of Bangle's "flame surfacing" design theme.

mmarshall

We can argue all day about Bangle-styling, and whether it was a good or bad idea on how it affected the auto-industry (I personally didn't think much of it, especially the original Bangle 7-series). But, IMO, there were equally significant issues with the BMWs that also came out during the Bangle era. Overall build-quality, IMO, dropped sharply. Sheet-metal solidness also took a noise dive....at the D.C. Auto Show a number of years ago, they had a pre-Bangle and Bangle 5-series parked next to each other, and the difference was astounding in how the body-panels felt and the doors closed. Recalls and vehicle-defects (including engine-fiers) rose sharply. And, of course, there was the notorious I-Drive, which Audi copied with the MMI.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

I was also one of those people who once hated the Bangle design, mostly the 5 series.
However, I loved the 7 series (E65) when it first came out.

Fast forward to current designs I hate them all (except x5) b/c they're bland and I can't even tell the 3 from the 5 apart ( a little exaggeration on my part).

At least with his designs, I can tell the difference if they were a mile away.

And with lexus coming out with the spindle grill, I am happy the designs are getting bolder

-J-P-L-

Interesting, since I think this Z4 is the ugliest BMW ever designed (at least in modern times).

Lines go every which way with no natural flow. Headlights and taillights are some of the worst ever on any car.