2022 BMW M440i Coupe

The BMW 4 Series Coupe arrived late in 2020 with much fanfare for two big reasons: One, it’s a BMW coupe, always an important item; and, two, that nose. That grille takes up some serious real estate.

Since 2014, the 4 Series Coupe has basically picked up where the 3 Series coupe left off. Oddly, for whatever reason, BMW didn’t attach the 4 Series badge to the four-door car. Blame Canada

More numbers that might confuse the old guard. The current 430i is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four that makes 255 horsepower.

The M440i–there is no plain 440i–gets a turbo 3.0-liter inline-six.

What’s the M440i like to drive? Keep reading.

"Once you get past the nose..."   I'll let you know as soon as I do.

still trying

Sorry, nope.

BMW has managed to take cars that are arguably some of the best and then take them to a level of suck style wise that is just not understandable.  They have taken an iconic styling que and instead of carrying it forward in a subtle way they have elevated it to the point where there cars are cartoons of their former  greatness.  It is sad really. I don't think any brand has managed to screw this up this well in the history of cars. Hell maybe in the history of brand identification of anything. 

Wait Lexus may have done it better with there pinch grill design that got to cartoonish proportions on there SUVs. 

For the first time in history, we have a vehicle in which the look is improved by a front license plate. 

If you took the ridiculous grille of, would you know it was a BMW? I know I wouldn't, based on my mistaking them for other things out in the wild. I guess it probably achieves their goals of becoming as mainstream as possible, but gone are the days where a BMW looked like a BMW.

In reply to bludroptop :

Post of the year so far.

First BMW started ruining the driving experience with the numb steering. Then they ruined the names. Then they ruined the looks.

I guess it all makes sense.

dean1484 said:

BMW has managed to take cars that are arguably some of the best and then take them to a level of suck style wise that is just not understandable.  They have taken an iconic styling que and instead of carrying it forward in a subtle way have elevated it to the point where there cars are cartoons of their former  greatness.  It is sad really. I don't think any brand has managed to screw this up this well in the history of cars. Hell maybe in the history of brand identification of anything. 

Except you and I are not their target demographic any more.   BMW has done exactly what they intended to do - over-exaggerate their brand identity in pursuit of their new target demographic: Chinese new money.  Iconic Western brand identity is everything to the Asian nouveau riche. Subtlety is no longer the desired image for BMW.

gearheadE30 said:

If you took the ridiculous grille of, would you know it was a BMW? I know I wouldn't, based on my mistaking them for other things out in the wild. I guess it probably achieves their goals of becoming as mainstream as possible, but gone are the days where a BMW looked like a BMW.

If that had kidney grilles of, say, 60% that size, it would still be very recognizable as a BMW, and it would look better to Western eyes.  But what BMW wants is to look better to Eastern eyes, which have different aesthetic preferences and different goals.

If that had kidney grilles of, say, 60% that size, it would still be very recognizable as a BMW, and it would look better to Western eyes.  But what BMW wants is to look better to Eastern eyes, which have different aesthetic preferences and different goals.

This. An increasing number of cars being designed and built are meant to appeal to the Chinese market.

It's also worth mentioning that Buicks are really popular in China–pretty much why it's still around as a car maker.

They would be wise not to put all their eggs in the China market though. China is and has been moving towards a China centric economy.  Hollywood is learning this now.  They have made a few movies (people in tights type movies) recently clearly designed to appeal to the Chinese market (spending many millions of course) and the Chinese government has refused to allow them to be release in China.  They want to make everything there.  I suspect it only a mater of time before the start looking at cars.

There is also the potential for them to reinforce the idea that they are supposed to be communist, and "theoretically" that means everyone is equal, money wise.  Not sure how that will go, but fancy German cars don't exactly scream "equality".

I saw a new M4 in a parking lot a few weeks ago... I thought it was a mustang at first glance :/

Duke said:

If that had kidney grilles of, say, 60% that size, it would still be very recognizable as a BMW, and it would look better to Western eyes.  But what BMW wants is to look better to Eastern eyes, which have different aesthetic preferences and different goals.

 I don't have the skills to read Mandarin, but I'd be very curious to know how the new BMW styling has been received in the Chinese press. It seems this could provide concrete evidence of your assertion.

To my Western eyes, however, it is an abomination, along with the overall turn away from performance-driven function and toward bloated, posturing form.

Would it really take that much to make two different market-specific bumpers/grills? I think it's still largely that they put brand identification at the top of the styling criteria... And if that's the case, they certainly succeeded.

It's not like it's the first ugly BMW... And I'm sure it won't be the last.

Maybe instead of kidneys we can rebrand it as the butterfly grill .......     

I think snorting bull nose could also work but there is an Italian super car manufacturer that may take issue with that.  

Oh forgot when ever I see the a new BMW I always think that it is Maters German cousin. 
 

I mean it can work on a Miata why not a BMW  

I'm just glad that the terrible reliability and durability of modern BMW's means we won't have to suffer those looks for too many years. 

Driven5 said:

Would it really take that much to make two different market-specific bumpers/grills? I think it's still largely that they put brand identification at the top of the styling criteria... And if that's the case, they certainly succeeded.

Can't be that hard, GM did it for decades :)

If BMW thought that that gaping maw was hurting North American or European sales they would simply build our versions with a different fascia. Somebody at BMW thinks that looks good, that's why it looks that way. Manufacturers have been making market specific details and features for decades. Ever driven a manual transmission, Diesel Chrysler minivan? I have.

I think this one is color-dependent, too. In the darker colors, personally, I think it looks better. 

Now, just for fun, can someone Photoshop on an E46 nose?

Colin Wood said:

If that had kidney grilles of, say, 60% that size, it would still be very recognizable as a BMW, and it would look better to Western eyes.  But what BMW wants is to look better to Eastern eyes, which have different aesthetic preferences and different goals.

This. An increasing number of cars being designed and built are meant to appeal to the Chinese market.

It's also worth mentioning that Buicks are really popular in China–pretty much why it's still around as a car maker.

It costs nothing to be kind.

With regard to Buick, it's pretty obvious to my eye. Those little shoebox CUVs they make? Any US sales are gravy, those are designed for the Chinese market because a western brand is a status symbol. At least based on some article I read many moons ago and couldn't find now if my life depended on it. I say it's obvious because they just stand out as 'other' when juxtaposed with the other CUV offerings.

As for the BMW up there, if someone swapped the badges and told me it was a Honda I would believe them. I don't have the trained enthusiast eye of many/most around here to look at the kidney grille and say "BMW!", rather the overall aesthetic just looks like a Honda or Toyota to me. I'm sure the interior is quite nice but it just looks gaudy. Almost, if I squint really hard, looks like an SN95 interior with regard to the black and tan. To be a little more specific, the interior looks aggressive in a way that I don't know that it needs to be. Pretentious? idk but I do know that, for a multitude of reasons, I am not and will not be in the market for a new BMW so I don't even know why I'm typing this except to be cynical and call it critique.

Lots of mustang from this view 

BeaverMW

chandler said:

 

Lots of mustang from this view 

A few years ago there was a profile comparison image between the M4 and Mustang. They were nearly identical.

[edit]

This isn't the picture I had in mind, but it gets the same point across:

BMW jumped the shark long ago.  Their products have been less and less inviting.  I hear this thing is an amazing drive, but there are so many other good options, it's shnozzed itself out of any consideration, or even a desire to know more.