Some say BMW's design team needs to take a chill pill and get back to basics, and we tend to agree with them – up to a point. The new-gen 5 Series isn't as appealing as its predecessor, and the M Division's standalone XM needs a lot more refining. And we haven't even mentioned the oversized grille of certain models – actually, we did.
The fresh design is a double-edged sword, as while certain companies are criticized for not drawing a clear line between different generations of the same model, others, like BMW, are condemned for not playing it safe. That said, being a car designer, especially a team leader, is a tough job these days.
On the other hand, we cannot help but mention the 5er from the Chris Bangle era. The E6X generation was disapproved by enthusiasts for many years, even if the range-topping M5 came with a great (and unreliable) naturally aspirated V10. However, this 5 Series has aged like fine wine, and it is now one of the best-looking ones ever made.
Thus, maybe we'll say the same in a few years about what we consider today's controversial-looking Bimmers. Nevertheless, it's not the brand's entire lineup that needs rethinking. The 8 Series is sexy as hell, the X5 is one of the best-looking cars in its segment, and the G2X 3 Series has become finer than its predecessor, regardless of whether we're talking about the pre-facelifted iteration or the mid-cycle refresh.
As a result, the premium compact model does not need any updates, and we hope its successor will look just as good, if not better. However, that doesn't mean it has evaded the rendering trend. In fact, it has fallen victim to it, with Global Car Reviews on YouTube giving it a second facelift and making it much more interesting than the real thing, this writer thinks.
The car's entire face was redesigned. It has a new interpretation of the kidney grille, which, fortunately, hasn't gone down the oversized route. The LED headlamps were reshaped and are slimmer this time around. The central air intake in the new bumper is smaller, and the side vents were resketched, featuring a second pair of DRLs next to the ones incorporated into the main clusters.
There are new lines on its profile, flush-mounted door handles, and smaller side mirrors. The back end needed no intervention, but it has still received new taillights linked together by a thin light strip, a redesigned trunk lid, and a new bumper that now holds the license plate. If anything, we hope BMW's design team responsible for sketching out the next 3er sees these renderings and decides to borrow a few traits, as we think it is one fine project. Do you?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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