The new X3: A sign that BMW designs are getting worse

[BimmerD]

I just saw pics of the new X3 at bmwusa.com for the first time. Is it me, or is this one of the ugliest Bimmers ever? Not a single line on that car conects with another.

The door sculpture reminds me of a Subaru Forrester. The rear windows rake freakishly upward. Nothing about the rear lights flows. The front corner lights don't fit with the headlights. At least the Z4 "flame" design flows to some extent, but this is rediculous.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Bimmers. But when I look at the beautiful lines of my 325ci and then look at the X3, I wonder if they even came from the same company. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this.

[Euro Trash]

Yeah it is a mess, it looks like Bungle is fighting with the German designers, that grill on the front with the lights is typical bmw Germany sh!t. The X3 looks like it was a compromise.

The body shape could work with some fine tunning. I find Bungle's body designs on the concept cars look really good, it's a pity he doesn't know how to fit grills, lights and wheels into his designs.

[Trucker4186]

Nice spec...But I agree with you mate...since they got that new designer Chris Bangle (....WTF Does he think he is doing??????????? ), All designs have gone down the pan

.....Long Live the design of the E46 3 series, and E39 5-series ....Chris Bangle...DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT TOUCH the E46 3-series!!!

[Hedoniste]

The X3 is simply ugly. What BMW is going to made? In Switzerland, BMW has made big prizes for the new BMW 5 serie. The extras are very expansive and the car too. We havn't seen yet a new BMW 5 serie....

[bimmerboy12]

they're not bad. I'd drive one if it was given to me. What mini SUV have you seen that is attractive after all???

[BimmerD]

they're not bad. I'd drive one if it was given to me.

That kind of statement is ok for other cars, but not for Bimmers. They have for the most part always been strikingly beautiful cars. But, hell, even the Freelander looks better than the X3. Or the new Forrester that does 0-60 in 5.3. Point is, BMW should never have to settle for a design. We've come to expect not just interior perfectiong (sans i-drive) but also exterior.

Chris Bangle...DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT TOUCH the E46 3-series!!!

I couldn't agree more! I already don't like the front corner lights of the new E46 coupes and sedans. But maybe after the X3 takes a nosedive in sales, they'll fire Bangle.

[Duke]

I dunno why u bashing chris he did design the current M5 and thats a beast, sure small features on the 7 series were ugly but he is fixing it. The new 5 series and 6 sereis look nuts, so just give it time. The pics u see are mostally concept drawing. take for example the first pics of the 6 series and the one released by bmw its a huge change.

[kevln]

Originally posted by Trucker4186


.....Long Live the design of the E46 3 series, and E39 5-series ....Chris Bangle...DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT TOUCH the E46 3-series!!!

he already has

[Prfctyon]

He will not touch the E46 he will touch the E90 .

[///AlpinePower]

i think you guys are missing the change in direction BMW made 13 years ago....BMWs used to be engineered, their design was second to function. Bangle was hired around 1991 to change this. He is responsible for the E46, E39 and plenty more......search for articles. anyway, you're stuck with his designs now and probably 10 years after he's gone. for example, the 996 that came out in 1999 was designed way back in the eighties.....weird to think about.....but the concepts bangle is putting out will proliferate for a while.

[pikachu]

Originally posted by ///AlpinePower
Bangle was...responsible for the E46

you sure about that? e46 was designed by a very young kid,, his first job out of school was with bmw designworks/usa in california and he was responsible for the e46.

[senselessactz]

Maybe my 3 series will be worth more than what i paid for it sumday : )

[SI///M3]

I dunno... I actually thought the X3 was an improvement over previous bangalized bimmers (7, 5). X5 looks better, but I honestly thought it didn't look "bad" like the 7 and 5 series.


Btw, I don't think Bangle designed the E46, but he did do the M Coupe so he gets a tiny bit of mercy from me since I love the coupes.

[BimmerD]

The pics u see are mostally concept drawing.

The pics that I saw on the bmwusa site were the official ones of the X3, not conceptual. I will admit, I like the 7 and even the new 5. I just think that compared to the X5, the X3 has a lot of design shortcomings. I like the interior a lot, actually. I just don't like the exterior.

Take a look, for example, at the rear windows just after the C pillar. ( http://bmwusa.com/welcome.cfm?page=s...iew/index.html) They rake upwards and break the flow. But, as always, this is only my opinion. Everyone is entitled to theirs, which is why there will always be those who love the designs and those who hate them.

[big_sur]

the 7,z4, upcoming 5, and upcoming x3 are ugly. period end of story. (the 6 isnt bad but its not what id call a beautiful car either)