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Originally Posted by PersonaNonGrata
I agree. I have an E90 and think it looks very, very nice. I was in the garage watching my wife pull in and I thought that the front end, milk mustache and all, looks pretty nice. The E92 looks even better from the front.
As far as iconic BMW designs, it is tough to say but I think about things like the models you listed and like them or not, they are icons. Model cycles and refreshes seem to happen sooner than they used to so shapes and looks change so much it's difficult for one to take hold.
Who thinks the Bangle Butt and flame surfacing will be regarded as design highlights for BMW?
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I agree model runs are slightly shortened and the face-lift appears to happen sooner than compared to previous models, but I think this really has to do with BMW's competition stepping up their designs. In the late 80's and early 90's european cars ruled the automotive world. Cars from the US and Japan coundn't even compare with european performance and luxury. I think they simply stood out because their designs were so much better. I don't think BMW's designs have dropped off too much. I think they simply didn't have any competition in those days. Now that Infiniti, Lexus and others have stepped their game up, BMW may have begun to feel some pressure to keep their designs fresh. I still feel that they are ahead of those companies, but they may have to refresh some models or bring out new ones slighlty earlier to stay ahead. Big picture, BMW's hold their values well and retain a modern look because typically designs do not drastically change and each model gets at least a 5+ year run for the most part. Lexus has done a good job with their LS, but for the most part asian and domestic cars become obsolete when the new model comes out because it looks nothing like the one it replaces.
I think that if you lined up a car from the first production year and a car from the last production year for the e30, e36, e46 and e90 (when it is all said and done) that the changes across the board from first to last year are pretty comparable for each model. I am not sure if you would say that one changed more than the other. Today, we may think that the e90 has changed the most, but that is beacuse it is the current model. What will we think 15 years from now?
I think the Bangle butt and flame surfacing will be regarded as a design highlight for BMW. It really already is. Immitation is the most sincere form of flattery and all you have to do is look at the butt of a Lexus LS or a Mercedes S calss to see that it is a success. It is being copied throughtout the automotive industry. You could really almost classify that as iconic. Also, Bangle's first application of flame surfacing was on the e53 X5 which, most of us will agree is a classic, good looking vehicle. So, overall, I would say it is definitely an era that will stand out in the future.