Photo: Unnecessary Automobile Nose Swaps
Let’s not call it beautiful nor having a face only a mother could love. The G22 is… let’s say controversial. Whatever side of the argument you’re on in regard to the kidney grille of the all-new 4 Series, there’s no denying BMW will sell tons of them.
It’s also worth highlighting the Bavarian automaker’s 303 series from 1933. Back then, the kidneys were nothing more than a radiator grille divided into two long vertical parts. In other words, BMW has a precedent for this design.
The 327, 328, 501, and 502, remember them? Anyway, moving on. Bayerische Motoren Werke changed the grille in 1956 with the introduction of the 507, widening the kidneys and opting for horizontal openings. More recently, the designers have brought the kidneys as close as possible to the lights.
Design chief Dumagoj Dukec stands by the G22 snout, adding that “you can’t listen to social media reactions.” Reading between the lines, new models may build upon the second generation of the 4 Series as far as the grille is concerned.
Having said all that, it’s hard not to imagine the G22 with classier kidneys. Maybe those from the E46 generation of the M3? That’s exactly what we’ve been treated to by Unnecessary Automobile Nose Swaps, and the result is nostalgic and...well, it's bland.
Nostalgia makes people appreciate the past more than they did back then, but this is 2020 and automotive styling has evolved a lot in the past couple of decades. You only need to take a look at the C-Class Coupe and the RS 5 Coupe to understand that BMW can’t rest on its laurels indefinitely but adapt to these changes.
While not a fan of the G22 snout, I can’t think of the second-generation 4 Series with a different grille design. It’s what BMW wants, it’s what the consumer demands, and at the end of the day, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
If you were in the market for a two-door coupe in this segment, would you put a deposit down on the Bimmer, the Merc, or the four-ringed automaker’s option?
The 327, 328, 501, and 502, remember them? Anyway, moving on. Bayerische Motoren Werke changed the grille in 1956 with the introduction of the 507, widening the kidneys and opting for horizontal openings. More recently, the designers have brought the kidneys as close as possible to the lights.
Design chief Dumagoj Dukec stands by the G22 snout, adding that “you can’t listen to social media reactions.” Reading between the lines, new models may build upon the second generation of the 4 Series as far as the grille is concerned.
Having said all that, it’s hard not to imagine the G22 with classier kidneys. Maybe those from the E46 generation of the M3? That’s exactly what we’ve been treated to by Unnecessary Automobile Nose Swaps, and the result is nostalgic and...well, it's bland.
Nostalgia makes people appreciate the past more than they did back then, but this is 2020 and automotive styling has evolved a lot in the past couple of decades. You only need to take a look at the C-Class Coupe and the RS 5 Coupe to understand that BMW can’t rest on its laurels indefinitely but adapt to these changes.
While not a fan of the G22 snout, I can’t think of the second-generation 4 Series with a different grille design. It’s what BMW wants, it’s what the consumer demands, and at the end of the day, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
If you were in the market for a two-door coupe in this segment, would you put a deposit down on the Bimmer, the Merc, or the four-ringed automaker’s option?
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