BMW Group Wins for Outstanding Design

BBoy Jul 19th, 2005 Link

w00t!

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Seth L Jul 19th, 2005 Link

Indeed, it should be Adrian van Hooydonk bashing!

But seriously, BMW group deserves it.

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rustyb Jul 19th, 2005 Link

Check this out:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/AUTOS/carreviews/07/14/summer_convertibles/index.html

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05DSMCS Jul 19th, 2005 Link

With all the BMW designs of late, with the new 3 series barely qualifying as an exception, it surprising to me that they garner this award. However, they definitely earn it on guts alone with their recent style changes – which probably counts more in this contest than much else.

It is one thing to accidentally come up with some really ugly designs (a la Hyundai), it’s a completely different thing to have a definite design signature specifically applied to all models – even if most don’t appreciate how they look.

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Steve Jul 19th, 2005 Link

I think this is well deserved praise. Perhaps the never ending tidal wave of “Bangle=Bad” press is beginning to shift.

Just take a look at this Autoweek article which begins with the almost penitent statement: “Maybe Chris Bangle was right…”.

http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=102740

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Ralph Jul 19th, 2005 Link

The BMW Group may have won the award for outstanding desgin, but the GPS/Naviation system (I-Drive) won’t win any awards. It’s been critized by everyone and anyone. BMW still thinks it’s good. (So does Mercedes and Audi)

The Japanesse (Lexus) have been given the nod as having the best Nav userfriendly system.

Don’t get me wrong I like BMW and I don’t know if the award included things like NAV system desgin and ease of use.

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GSP Jul 19th, 2005 Link

WhoopDeeDoo. To my eyes fugly is still fugly.

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nrkist Jul 19th, 2005 Link

Saw a new 3-series the other day. Definitely wasn’t working for me. I’m sure BMW is selling a lot of cars, but…

I think Bangle dragged BMW from a higher plane of distinctive functional elegance down into the seething mosh pit of flashy, disposable automotive design, where they are now battling it out with the Asian and American marques they had transcended for so many decades. The equity is rapidly bleeding out of the BMW brand. Hope someone can apply a tourniquet before it flat lines.

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Steve Jul 19th, 2005 Link

…The equity is rapidly bleeding out of the BMW brand. Hope someone can apply a tourniquet before it flat lines…

Nrkist, while I’m sure some would agree with your overall sentiment, I have to take issue with your statement regarding the bleeding of equity. The numbers simply don’t agree with you. In fact, they say the opposite.

First half of 2005 the most successful in BMW Group’s History…

In terms of sales, the first half of 2005 (a point at which all of Chris Bangle’s designs had entered the market) was the most successful in the BMW Group’s history. In addition, June of this year was the single best month in the company’s history as deliveries were up 13.5% compared to the previous year.

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nrkist Jul 19th, 2005 Link

Steve – good point but, as I said, “I’m sure they are selling a lot of cars, but…”

I honestly don’t think that sales numbers are the right metric here. You move toward the middle of the market in terms of design or price, you will sell more cars. That doesn’t mean you are not simultaneously eroding the long-term value of your brand.

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Gabe Jul 19th, 2005 Link

You move toward the middle of the market in terms of design or price, you will sell more cars. That doesn’t mean you are not simultaneously eroding the long-term value of your brand.

Actually I think the exact opposite happened here. BMW made a conscious effort to move their design language forward and into territory that might make some of the more conservative or less progressive buyers a bit hesitant. I believe that, to a certain extent, this was a very calculated move for the brand and it’s audience. They paved the way for the BMW brand to be more bold and forward thinking in the years to come with an audience that prizes those attributes.

If you look at BMW’s automotive design and corporate culture in the 90’s you’ll see that the company embodied the very definition of “staid“. Not that they didn’t make fine cars that performed at a high level. They just did so in a package and with an attitude of a conservative nature. One that didn’t rock the boat with older BMW owners and stayed the course with the same sausage, three different lengths approach that is still used by a number of high-end automakers.

So in a sense you can think of the design shift as a way to refine the brand and in turn, refine the audience and potential customer base now and for years to come. The sales will always be there for a company that makes products like BMW’s. However the sales brought about by this change will move the company towards a more progressive individual that will in turn help steer the brand in the years ahead.

Of course this approach is in stark contrast to the BMW Group’s execution of MINI brand design

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Nick Jul 19th, 2005 Link

I live right near BMW’s DesignWorks/USA.

Its awesome!

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nrkist Jul 19th, 2005 Link

Actually I think the exact opposite happened here. BMW made a conscious effort to move their design language forward and into territory that might make some of the more conservative or less progressive buyers a bit hesitant.

This is all totally subjective, of course. (It’s design!) What you see as “forward”, “bold” and “progressive” I see as just the opposite. I think these new BMW designs are much more targeted toward the middle of the market than with any forward-looking, design-savvy segment of avant garde buyers. They share the gratuitously overworked sheet metal that has always blurred differences among the multitude of offerings from design-weak auto makers. Just my opinion, of course.

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F.R Walter Jul 19th, 2005 Link

I like the new 3. It has an aggressive and nimble look. The biggest thing that BMW neads to be carefull of is looking like a Pontiac. (last year’s 5)

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nrkist Jul 19th, 2005 Link

The biggest thing that BMW neads to be carefull of is looking like a Pontiac. (last year’s 5)

My point, exactly.

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stuart Jul 20th, 2005 Link

Interestingly (or maybe not), a lot of the stuff about to be launched or on the drawing board at ‘other’ manufacturers appears to be following the Bangle route, the ‘high slab trunk lid’ for example. Maybe he was right after all. I-drive seems to be happening in a different form on some cars too, Is BMW staid and boring?, or is it just leading the way ?. New lighting functions and HUD technolgy are certain to win favour when users adapt even though now we can’t see why we need it.

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David Bunting Jul 20th, 2005 Link

BMW is definitely pushing design in a new direction. At least for me, it’s generally working (most successfully on the 3,5, and z4).

The result of which is that, to me, even the newest Audis and Mercedes appear to be dated and stale (the CLS being an exception).

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Rocketboy Jul 20th, 2005 Link

I firmly believe that history will be very kind to Chris Bangle. As polarizing as the designs he inspired are, I think his design era at BMW will be a highly regarded time.

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petsounds Jul 21st, 2005 Link

I believe history will suss Bangle and his cohort’s 5-minute attention span out for what it is — lack of a concise vision, complete disregard for marquee styling cues, and eventually designs that will look extremely dated.

On a related note, I was driving the other day in Los Angeles and saw a 325 I have not seen before, it could be a testing mule for the 2007? It didn’t look like the 2006. It had a snub nose, looking somewhat like the new Mustang. It looked pretty hideous, and seemed to have gotten rid of any design elements of BMW heritage, save perhaps the tail lights.

I have no ill will towards Frank Stephenson — the MINI is a design masterpiece.

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nrkist Jul 21st, 2005 Link

I believe history will suss Bangle and his cohort’s 5-minute attention span out for what it is — lack of a concise vision, complete disregard for marquee styling cues, and eventually designs that will look extremely dated.

word 2 tha mutha

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Guy Lloyd-Parker Aug 16th, 2005 Link

After browsing the web, there seems tobe a link between the Mini and the VWBeetle……I know this for a fact and if anyone can tell me the link between the above and the AudiTT and the BMWx5 then you have the link to me…..

If Frank Srephenson, Freeman Thomas and Adrian Van Hooydonk are looking in then this may interest them,,,,,,If anyone could also link all the above to a mixed-race American, around New York way with the name Andrew, slightly camp, within the design field…..I would love to hear what his surname might be…….I’ll reveil all after I hear his name!

plonker2@go4.it

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mdbx Jan 23rd, 2007 Link

i dont know if this is the right place but i’m wondering if someone can help me. i have some sports car designs that i would like to show to motoring companies especially BMW, mercedes benz, etc. (preferably bmw ) how does one go around that

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