2023 BMW M2

wspohn said:

So ironic that the Bangle era cars got criticized for looks - we didn't see this era of fugly BMWs coming.

I couldn't own one of these without inwardly wincing every time I saw it.  Will stick with what I have, thanks.

 

You have a type :)

I'm with calteg, the Z4 coupe was the high point of Bangling. But you're not wrong that BMW doubled down on ugly with the newer cars.

The lower fascia of the M2 looks like a poorly designed kit car. Did an intern do it after the adults went home?

Is there some law in Germany that says all new BMWs must have Fugly fronts?

I'll take the GR Supra instead and enjoy the weight savings and dramatically superior styling.

Prior generation M2 would win out over either.

Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) said:

Is there some law in Germany that says all new BMWs must have Fugly fronts?

No, but there is in China :)

Local dealer just took a powder blue one off the carrier yesterday looks much smaller/better in person. 

Flynlow (FS) said:

Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) said:

Is there some law in Germany that says all new BMWs must have Fugly fronts?

No, but there is in China :)

Less a law and more a cultural preference. They believe that the catfish brings good luck/fortune. It's a gigantic car market, so designers are indulging them. If the front ends of recent cars seem fishy (hahaa) it's not your imagination. 

The supposed official explanation from BMW was they need gigantic vents for the 11ty billion coolers that are in the engine bay

And yet there are plenty of other manufacturers that can keep their cars cool and not look hideous.

In reply to calteg :

That was the joke :).

There was an interview somewhere with a car design studio, might have been BMW, where they said it is more important for a car to look "distinctive" and immediately identifiable as the specific luxury brand than for it to look good (so kidney grilles need to be visible from space to work in the Chinese market).  Hence the move away from conservative "business executive" type styling and towards....whatever this is:

Well, it is distinctive. I agree with that. I just can't say I want to look at it.

Whatever, we passed the point of me being interested in new BMWs about 10 years ago, with the last gen M2 being a possible exception. Too heavy, too expensive, too ugly, too disconnected.