No more and never again. Now BMW is abandoning the trend of the last many years with an ever-larger radiator grille. The design director promises to make amends and improve.
BMW is facing a significant design change. The current era of large kidneys is coming to an end.
Design boss Adrian Van Hooydonk announces a farewell to the controversial grilles. The new design, centered around the Neue Klasse concept, will be "110 percent BMW," according to the boss.
Many car buyers have barely gotten used to the big BMW kidneys. They were introduced a few years ago. Now they are soon a thing of the past.
Later this year, specifically in the fall, BMW will present the new Neue Klasse electric car. This model will be the starting point for a completely new design language for the brand. It will be an electric car as a starting point.
Adrian Van Hooydonk, BMW's head of design, describes the upcoming change as a revolution. He has never experienced a project with greater momentum or impact at BMW before.
– I think that in all my years here at BMW I have never seen a project with more speed or greater impact than that, he says in an interview with the medium Motor1 .
BMW Neue Klasse and the 'design revolution'
Rumors about the new design are supported by spy photos that show upcoming BMW models being tested. The images reveal that other cars will also have a similar look to the Neue Klasse.
Even the all-new BMW M5, which technically just hit the market, has been spotted with the new front, indicating a rapid and broad rollout of the updated design language across the model range.
The design director clearly draws inspiration from the great names in automotive history, specifically citing legendary Italian designer Marcello Gandini as a source of inspiration.
Gandini is famous for his work at Bertone, including the iconic first generation BMW 5 Series (E12). His philosophy of clean lines seems to have influenced the new BMW design.
– Take a leaf out of Marcello Gandini's book… the overall design language will be cleaner than what you know from us today, explains Van Hooydonk about the new direction.
That is, BMW's design should be simpler.
Adrian Van Hooydonk on the future of BMW
The new look aims to return more to BMW's original design DNA, while emphasizing that the change compared to today's cars will be significant and revolutionary.
Car buyers and BMW enthusiasts should prepare for a major visual change. Future BMW models will look distinctly different from current ones. It will take some getting used to.
Van Hooydonk is careful to emphasize recognizability, however. Despite the new look, the cars still have to be identified as BMWs. "But it's 100 percent recognisable as a BMW," he assures.
The very first model to feature the new design language will be unveiled in September. There are many indications that it will be the new generation of the BMW iX3 electric SUV.
According to the design director, the change will be very clear to everyone. He describes it not just as a step, but as a giant leap forward for the brand's visual identity.
– This will be a big step, and it will be such a big step that it almost looks like we have skipped a generation, says Adrian Van Hooydonk about the effect of the new design.
BMW's design choices have often sparked debate among car enthusiasts. At Boosted.dk you can delve into the history and read more about previous BMW models . See how the brand's expression has evolved, and also read about the recently launched BMW M5, which will soon get a new look.
