View Poll Results: Bangle, what are your thoughts?
I always liked the design, then and now
11
25.58%
I hated it then, I hate it now
15
34.88%
I liked them in the past but not anymore
2
4.65%
I did not like them at first but I like them now
5
11.63%
Dude invite me for some curry goat for X-mas
6
13.95%
After ten years I am still on the fence!! Not sure
4
9.30%
Voters: 43. You may not vote on this poll
1SICKBLOG: I was wrong, Chris Bangle is a genius and I invite him for X-mas dinner
09-14-10, 08:06 PM
#16
Lexus Champion
There isn't one Bangle vehicle that I actually like for it's design. The V10 belonged in something much more attractive than the E60 M5 or E63 6 series.
Maybe there will be room to swap the V10 into the much better looking F10 M5.
Maybe there will be room to swap the V10 into the much better looking F10 M5.
09-14-10, 10:14 PM
#17
Rookie
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: California
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A human insight: I spent an afternoon with Chris Bangle before he left BMW and had an opportunity to discuss how he managed to balance design creativity and technology in BMW. He was charismatic, open, and inspiring, and not at all the image some might have. I was able to better appreciate how he was able to drive radical design change in such an engineering driven organization. I found the "person behind the design" a very unique individual. (He was kind enough to give me a copy of the "BMW Art of Car Design" which he then proceeded to sign and illustrate himself driving what looks like a Z4 inside the front cover!)
Chris F
09-14-10, 11:32 PM
#18
here's how i see it. years ago when bangle put out his designs and everyone went wtf, he said that's the "future" and that's how things will be in the future. well, i guess time has proven that right for him (sort of).
but in my eyes? sure that might be true, but leave the future where it is -- in the future. we don't need future today yet, and a lot of times we aren't ready for it. what we consider cool now were wtf decades ago. that's how evolution is, and i would rather stick to that
so to me? yeah he's good, he saw (sees?) how the future will be. but as a chief designer, i still can't stand by his original 7 series. it doesn't work for me
but in my eyes? sure that might be true, but leave the future where it is -- in the future. we don't need future today yet, and a lot of times we aren't ready for it. what we consider cool now were wtf decades ago. that's how evolution is, and i would rather stick to that
so to me? yeah he's good, he saw (sees?) how the future will be. but as a chief designer, i still can't stand by his original 7 series. it doesn't work for me
09-15-10, 01:01 AM
#19
If we leave the future for the future and stay happy with what we have today, how are we ever going to progress? How are we ever going to move forward? Say in 2000, if BMW thought like that, we'd be stuck with the albeit classic but frankly boring one-sausage-three-lengths design of the 3er 5er 7er today; straight lines, basic contours, basic shapes. It was only with Bangle's forward-thinking generation of cars that we are now able to have an attractive lineup of flame-surfaced BMW. Frankly I find it preposterous to suggest an automaker should leave the future in the future and be stagnant, ESPECIALLY when we're talking about design. A designer should ALWAYS be pushing the envelope and looking towards the future; or else they'll come out with a dated vehicle.
but it's just like back in the late 80s and early 90s when most cars were boxy, if they came out with the bulking round looking 2gs, people would say it's super weird and ugly looking. why? coz' the car wasn't for that time. but for sure it's the future, came late 90s and the car got all the attention and most definitely influential on cars to come in the next few years.
or take the lexus l-finesse, i am not saying it's good or bad, but it's the current market on lexus now. if lexus came out with these designs 10 years ago (instead of the gs400, is300, and ls430), i can imagine people calling it pretty controversy as well
at least in my eyes (and i still think so), when it was early 2000, the styling of the 7 series were whack and it wasn't for that time. people weren't ready, they had doubt. 10 years later and now it's the trend. sure, i agree with all that. but when the car came out in early 2000 and so many people having negative feedback? that couldn't have been a success
09-15-10, 09:34 AM
#21
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
bangles designs were awful IMO, but my opinion is irrelevant - the market decided they were great as the sales showed. and as 1sicklex points out, they were at least distinctive, which is important, particularly in the high end.
07-19-12, 08:37 AM
#22
Guest
Posts: n/a
07-19-12, 09:14 AM
#23
Lexus Fanatic
While I respect Mike's (and other) opinions, I still, even after 10 years, strongly prefer the pre-Bangle BMWs in everything except perhaps chassis/steering feel and sophistication. Bangle's designs, IMO, took the company downhill in several areas, especially build-quality.
07-19-12, 10:45 PM
#24
While I respect Mike's (and other) opinions, I still, even after 10 years, strongly prefer the pre-Bangle BMWs in everything except perhaps chassis/steering feel and sophistication. Bangle's designs, IMO, took the company downhill in several areas, especially build-quality.
07-20-12, 09:26 AM
#28
Lexus Fanatic
I remember, at the D.C. Auto Show, some years back (but don't actually remember what year) the BMW display had both a pre-Bangle and a Bangle-designed 5-series sedan on the floor, next to each other. The pre-Bangle car, in comparison, felt like a tank, especially in the doors and sheet-metal....even the BMW reps there, when I pointed it out, admitted it.
07-20-12, 01:59 PM
#30
I've been wanting to write this for sometime even though it is to say I was dead wrong.
Yes, I was wrong about Bangle. I shouted and screamed like many for his head and for his designs, similar to how Honda boys scream for my head. We both enjoy our stoning.
Maybe it was too early for me? Maybe I was too spoiled by the near perfection of the 1 design, different sausage lengths of the E36/46 E39 and E38 I wasn't quite trying to hear anything Mr. Bangle was saying.
Let me quickly get out of the way that I am not saying I still like ANY of his designs. None have really grew on me. The last gen 7 series still looks like some giant whale abortion. The 5 series still has Miss Edna's eyes, slab sides and cheap butt. The 6 series is how to design a car drunk. etc etc. I still rather don't like them much with the 5 series getting the pass once its in black with a sport kit and I have sunshades on.
You see the other day I was driving around Buckhead (our version of F U poor people Atlanta) and I saw quite a few new BMWs. And I commented to myself "I much like how the 7 series looks from behind". Until the guy passed and it was a 5 series. I then confused a 7 series and 5 GT from the front as well. Then it all became a blur as I noticed they seemingly were all in silver, beige or black and all looked the same. This doesn't happen often, being a car guy at all. I was quite offended.
Got me to thinking about Bangle, who I wished would have been sacrificed over a live volcano. Well now I want to save him and ask him to come back. Even if I don't like how they looked, damnit Mr. Bangle actually made BMWs look different without resorting to all looking like a version of the 3 series, as they are doing again. Yet they still looked like BMWs.
We all know sales didn't suffer (we can argue how they were sold but that is another story) and we also know a lot of people did like the new designs. If you have not noticed by now, the blind people market is a growing, exploding market, cornered by Honda, Acura,the old BMW and Mitsubishi. BMW took a chance with Bangle and damnit, the man gave us vehicles that were instantly recognizable as BMWs without all looking THE SAME.
Amazingly enough love it or hate it, Bangle's design was emulated by others, hell maybe everyone. From droopy eyes, to the "Bangle Butt" that Sir Mix-A-Lot surely had some say in to his avante garde interiors. BMW went from safe and dull to "damn, look at that"
or "damn, look at that" 
. It caused an opinion, it got us talking, it got people enthused about a cold machine.
I was wrong. Boy was I wrong. Bangle left BMW, surely knowing his designs were being asked to be watered down. To be safe again. He left on his terms with is vision untouched. He rather leave knowing what he did will forever be remembered in automotive history as one of the greatest design risks and executions of all time.
I salute you Mr. Bangle, I apologize for my previous opinion and retract. You were brave, a leader and truly visionary. Would you like some curry goat for X-mas dinner?
Yes, I was wrong about Bangle. I shouted and screamed like many for his head and for his designs, similar to how Honda boys scream for my head. We both enjoy our stoning.
Maybe it was too early for me? Maybe I was too spoiled by the near perfection of the 1 design, different sausage lengths of the E36/46 E39 and E38 I wasn't quite trying to hear anything Mr. Bangle was saying. Let me quickly get out of the way that I am not saying I still like ANY of his designs. None have really grew on me. The last gen 7 series still looks like some giant whale abortion. The 5 series still has Miss Edna's eyes, slab sides and cheap butt. The 6 series is how to design a car drunk. etc etc. I still rather don't like them much with the 5 series getting the pass once its in black with a sport kit and I have sunshades on.
You see the other day I was driving around Buckhead (our version of F U poor people Atlanta) and I saw quite a few new BMWs. And I commented to myself "I much like how the 7 series looks from behind". Until the guy passed and it was a 5 series. I then confused a 7 series and 5 GT from the front as well. Then it all became a blur as I noticed they seemingly were all in silver, beige or black and all looked the same. This doesn't happen often, being a car guy at all. I was quite offended.
Got me to thinking about Bangle, who I wished would have been sacrificed over a live volcano. Well now I want to save him and ask him to come back. Even if I don't like how they looked, damnit Mr. Bangle actually made BMWs look different without resorting to all looking like a version of the 3 series, as they are doing again. Yet they still looked like BMWs.
We all know sales didn't suffer (we can argue how they were sold but that is another story) and we also know a lot of people did like the new designs. If you have not noticed by now, the blind people market is a growing, exploding market, cornered by Honda, Acura,the old BMW and Mitsubishi. BMW took a chance with Bangle and damnit, the man gave us vehicles that were instantly recognizable as BMWs without all looking THE SAME.
Amazingly enough love it or hate it, Bangle's design was emulated by others, hell maybe everyone. From droopy eyes, to the "Bangle Butt" that Sir Mix-A-Lot surely had some say in to his avante garde interiors. BMW went from safe and dull to "damn, look at that"
or "damn, look at that" . It caused an opinion, it got us talking, it got people enthused about a cold machine. I was wrong. Boy was I wrong. Bangle left BMW, surely knowing his designs were being asked to be watered down. To be safe again. He left on his terms with is vision untouched. He rather leave knowing what he did will forever be remembered in automotive history as one of the greatest design risks and executions of all time.
I salute you Mr. Bangle, I apologize for my previous opinion and retract. You were brave, a leader and truly visionary. Would you like some curry goat for X-mas dinner?
Prior to Bangle's design I used to be into taking pictures a lot. One day I shot an E46 sitting next to a Porsche 911 and another car I can't remember right now. When I got home and looked at the pics it hit me just how bland BMW had become. Nice but bland. I just didn't think cars at a premium price should look so boring. Bangle came to the rescue.
All of a sudden, BMW's looked right at home next to other higher end cars. What's more they looked different than others. Which is something I really like. I was very disappointed BMW listened to the old school and reassigned Bangle. Don't know why, the cars sold bringing lots of new customers looking for that individualistic styling created by Bangle. Other brands copied the designs including Lexus. Just look at the high rear ends of the 2IS, 3GS and LS models. The high rear is now a staple in auto design.
The current BMW designs are going back toward blandness and cookie cutter. They are also losing their BMWness in drivability.
I do like the current designs mostly but I sometimes wonder how they would look if Bangle were still in charge of design.