As I toured the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show last week, I couldn't help but notice how Chris Bangle's designs have trickled into the work of the other car manufacturers from Europe to Asia to America. His design elements, which I previously thought to be disconcerting to the eye are now apparently the norm and I've grown quite accustomed to the way the current generation of Bimmers look. I now consider the current 3-series to be the best looking in its class (as compared to the Lexus IS, MB C class, Infinity G, et al); if its design elements trickled up to the 5-series, i would not consider it a bad thing.
Unfortunately, Bangle was less than sucessful in creating beauty in the 1-series. It is not a very pretty car. I met a few BMWCCA members in the BMW hospitality lounge and there was a consensus that the 1-series is already in need of a makeover, especially in the trunk area for both the coupe and convertible.
As I told one of my friends, give me an 135i with a hatchback body of the Volvo C30 and I'd be happier than a pig in shit.
From a sheer car aesthetics standpoint, my favorite cars of the 2008 car show were (in no apparent order and excluding exotics which are out of my fixed income price league): Porsche Cayman, Jaguar XF, BMW 3-series coupe, Audi S5 coupe, and the Volvo C30.
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