BMW G20 3 Series
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 9,982
Likes: 241
From: California
No more than a facelift and new interior. Really going to be unexciting about a year after release.
Second, the rear side window glass space is absolutely HUGE! Has anyone ever seen anything bigger on a different car? Maybe on an SUV or station wagon. Looks ridiculously homely for a sports sedan. There needs to be more pillar, more heft, and more visual strength.
Still not keen on BMW's ancient grille design. It's holding the company back from being progressive, fresh, and modern. We've seen this same grille for forty years now. Yeah, we get it... it's a trademark BMW front. Now think of something new and run with it like everyone else has. It's called progressing forward. Yawn
Yes, the rear lights are pure RC. That jumped out immediately. Last few BMW redo's have gone very asian in back. Interesting trend.
Second, the rear side window glass space is absolutely HUGE! Has anyone ever seen anything bigger on a different car? Maybe on an SUV or station wagon. Looks ridiculously homely for a sports sedan. There needs to be more pillar, more heft, and more visual strength.
Still not keen on BMW's ancient grille design. It's holding the company back from being progressive, fresh, and modern. We've seen this same grille for forty years now. Yeah, we get it... it's a trademark BMW front. Now think of something new and run with it like everyone else has. It's called progressing forward. Yawn
Yes, the rear lights are pure RC. That jumped out immediately. Last few BMW redo's have gone very asian in back. Interesting trend.
Thread Starter
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,419
Likes: 11
From: California
Hopefully they keep their promise of making the G20 drive well. I mean anything will drive better than the F30, but they really need to get back to their roots from a handling perspective. I highly doubt that LED headlights will be standard. They might be a relatively inexpensive (<$1000) option--like HIDs were a $500 option on my E46--but they won't be standard until the LCI. BMW loves to hold stuff back for the mid-cycle refresh, even things that were standard on the prior model. Look at LED taillights, for example. Standard on E46 LCI, not available on E90 at release. Standard on E90 LCI, not available on F30 at launch. Standard on F30 LCI. Three generations in a row they've added, removed, and re-added the same feature 
I further assume that the laser headlights won't be available at all, as every kind of cool headlight tech seems to be illegal in the US.
I further assume that the laser headlights won't be available at all, as every kind of cool headlight tech seems to be illegal in the US.
After further research - you are right. The laser headlights are illegal in the US along with Mercedes Benz's digital headlights. Every cool headlight is banned in the USA due to outdated regulations. I just wasn't sure if lasers were included.
Based off of that. We can either see BMW do two things.
1) Make LED standard but have two headlamp designs. A standard design and a premium design. Like the 2019 C-Class where LED is standard but you pay extra for the adaptive lighting housing with a better design.
2) Or they stick with the F30 business plan and make halogen standard and LED an optional extra.
No more than a facelift and new interior. Really going to be unexciting about a year after release.
Second, the rear side window glass space is absolutely HUGE! Has anyone ever seen anything bigger on a different car? Maybe on an SUV or station wagon. Looks ridiculously homely for a sports sedan. There needs to be more pillar, more heft, and more visual strength.
Still not keen on BMW's ancient grille design. It's holding the company back from being progressive, fresh, and modern. We've seen this same grille for forty years now. Yeah, we get it... it's a trademark BMW front. Now think of something new and run with it like everyone else has. It's called progressing forward. Yawn
Yes, the rear lights are pure RC. That jumped out immediately. Last few BMW redo's have gone very asian in back. Interesting trend.
Second, the rear side window glass space is absolutely HUGE! Has anyone ever seen anything bigger on a different car? Maybe on an SUV or station wagon. Looks ridiculously homely for a sports sedan. There needs to be more pillar, more heft, and more visual strength.
Still not keen on BMW's ancient grille design. It's holding the company back from being progressive, fresh, and modern. We've seen this same grille for forty years now. Yeah, we get it... it's a trademark BMW front. Now think of something new and run with it like everyone else has. It's called progressing forward. Yawn
Yes, the rear lights are pure RC. That jumped out immediately. Last few BMW redo's have gone very asian in back. Interesting trend.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,939
Likes: 20
From: CALIFORNIA
Looks good enough.
It now has the same wheelbase as the Lexus GS.
Gives it good proportions.
now just over 185" long makes it a tweener size.
I like how the sheet metal bulges out over the rear wheels. Makes it look sporty
It's funny how bmw is doing a lot of stuff lexus used to do.
Now the hood goes all the way to the grille rather than a stupid hood gap that lexus adopted from bmw.
Bmw has also gone back to touch screens, whereas lexus is sticking with remote touch.
It now has the same wheelbase as the Lexus GS.
Gives it good proportions.
now just over 185" long makes it a tweener size.
I like how the sheet metal bulges out over the rear wheels. Makes it look sporty
It's funny how bmw is doing a lot of stuff lexus used to do.
Now the hood goes all the way to the grille rather than a stupid hood gap that lexus adopted from bmw.
Bmw has also gone back to touch screens, whereas lexus is sticking with remote touch.
CL Community Team
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 9,314
Likes: 585
From: IL
Based off of that. We can either see BMW do two things.
1) Make LED standard but have two headlamp designs. A standard design and a premium design. Like the 2019 C-Class where LED is standard but you pay extra for the adaptive lighting housing with a better design.
2) Or they stick with the F30 business plan and make halogen standard and LED an optional extra.
1) Make LED standard but have two headlamp designs. A standard design and a premium design. Like the 2019 C-Class where LED is standard but you pay extra for the adaptive lighting housing with a better design.
2) Or they stick with the F30 business plan and make halogen standard and LED an optional extra.
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Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 8,564
Likes: 389
From: PA
I like how the hood meets the kidney grilles, as opposed to being a totally straight edge. It would be curious how these cars actually drive. The cars are very bland today but they are what they are. People love BMW like they love Apple. It's very difficult to get into that position. My theory is that co's like these will always be able to put out something decent and will never fall like Rome, just too much going against that happening. But they do produce duds, like the 328/330/335/340 F30s, or iPhone 8.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 13,198
Likes: 1,845
From: WA
LED lighting is standard, and adapted-for-the-U.S. laser high-beams are available.
Source
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 9,510
Likes: 2,577
It apparently handles as good as the Giulia (clear class leader) in terms of capability, but more refined. BMW went all out on the chassys/dynamics engineering of this new model, apparently. A response to the criticism of the F30. An already light car lost even more weight too. Like a lot of weight. So it should drive nicely.
The design is pretty good I'd say. I do wish the front was a tad more conservative. Wonder how the MTECH bumper will look.
Can't wait for the coupe too...
The design is pretty good I'd say. I do wish the front was a tad more conservative. Wonder how the MTECH bumper will look.
Can't wait for the coupe too...
Lexus Champion
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 13,198
Likes: 1,845
From: WA
LED headlights have been standard on the IS since MY 2017.
Pole Position
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 357
Likes: 56
From: Texas
Plus, It kind of funny to see Germans copying Japanese styling queues.
