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BMW has been churning out some controversial designs lately, whether it be the enlarged kidney grilles from the 4-Series that started it all or the questionable split headlight design seen on the brand's latest flagship models. Needless to say, there's been a ton of criticism surrounding BMW's recent styling decisions, and despite what brand's persistence may suggest, it is well aware of the negative feedback. In fact, things may turn around sometime in the future.
While speaking with TopGear, BMW head designer Adrian van Hooydonk said that future designs "will be cleaner," and there's even a possibility that we'll be seeing a return to more conventional grille designs. “If you look in our history, you’ve seen that we’ve done everything from vertical, very slim, to wide and very low. We feel that the BMW brand has always offered some variation of that, so we can do anything really," he said. "We will design the grille according to the proportion of the overall vehicle, or according to the expression that we want to give it." While that isn't saying much, it seems that things could at least be turned down a notch in the future.
As for the current designs, the head of design justified them with BMW's consistent 2022 sales figures. With 2.1 million vehicles sold worldwide last year, and a sizable 177,000 of those units representing BMW M alone, the radical styling hasn't really fazed buyers.
BMW isn't simply messing around with random designs, either. “We have a pretty clear idea of where we’re going to go, so it’s not like we’re experimenting or throwing things out there to see what sticks. It’s a very deliberate process.” He went on to say that disputed designs turn out better in the long run than those that are initially well-liked across the board. "When you first come out with the car, people are not sure – some like it, some don’t," he said. “But then at the mid-life cycle, everybody agrees. And then it holds up all the way to the end of the life cycle and probably beyond as a used car." He thinks that less daring designs, meanwhile, capture fewer attention as they age.
Do you think the end is near for BMW's radical designs?
Image Credits: BMW
Report
Jun 2, 2023
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BMW Design Boss Says Future BMWs Will Have A "Cleaner" Look
However, it argues that sales remain steady with the controversial designs.
BMW has been churning out some controversial designs lately, whether it be the enlarged kidney grilles from the 4-Series that started it all or the questionable split headlight design seen on the brand's latest flagship models. Needless to say, there's been a ton of criticism surrounding BMW's recent styling decisions, and despite what brand's persistence may suggest, it is well aware of the negative feedback. In fact, things may turn around sometime in the future.
While speaking with TopGear, BMW head designer Adrian van Hooydonk said that future designs "will be cleaner," and there's even a possibility that we'll be seeing a return to more conventional grille designs. “If you look in our history, you’ve seen that we’ve done everything from vertical, very slim, to wide and very low. We feel that the BMW brand has always offered some variation of that, so we can do anything really," he said. "We will design the grille according to the proportion of the overall vehicle, or according to the expression that we want to give it." While that isn't saying much, it seems that things could at least be turned down a notch in the future.
As for the current designs, the head of design justified them with BMW's consistent 2022 sales figures. With 2.1 million vehicles sold worldwide last year, and a sizable 177,000 of those units representing BMW M alone, the radical styling hasn't really fazed buyers.
BMW isn't simply messing around with random designs, either. “We have a pretty clear idea of where we’re going to go, so it’s not like we’re experimenting or throwing things out there to see what sticks. It’s a very deliberate process.” He went on to say that disputed designs turn out better in the long run than those that are initially well-liked across the board. "When you first come out with the car, people are not sure – some like it, some don’t," he said. “But then at the mid-life cycle, everybody agrees. And then it holds up all the way to the end of the life cycle and probably beyond as a used car." He thinks that less daring designs, meanwhile, capture fewer attention as they age.
Do you think the end is near for BMW's radical designs?
Image Credits: BMW
