Bangle Quits?

http://jalopnik.com/5145161/chris-bangle-quits-bmw-auto-industry?skyline=true&s=x

Wow!

HHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAllelujah!!

Maybe those three angry emails a week I was sending worked!

Wow, and only a decade too late.

I've never been a big fan of Bangle's "flame surfacing", but have you noticed how copied his designs became? Like his designs or not, they changed the way cars look, and not just BMW's.

BMW lately has some decent looking cars. The new 3 series is a undeniably attractive, the new 7 series is handsome, and the new Z4 is drop dead gorgeous.

I absolutely hated his designs at first, especially that first "Bangle-butt" 7 series. Lately BMW designs have started to improve though.

I was lucky enough to have dinner with the MINI USA guys a couple of years ago, and Bangle was the featured guest. It was just me, Tim Suddard, Bangle, and 10 or so MINI folks. Bangle sat right next to me during dinner, and wouldn't you know it, he was one of the most engaging, funny, intelligent and knowledgeable guys I've ever met. He is a real car enthusiast as well. By the end of the meal I still didn't like his designs, but I had a better idea of what he was shooting for. (to change design, and test barriers, create a brand image)

Cool guy. I'm sure he'll do well in whatever he does.

My first thought: good.

Considering what Joe said... I guess I would have to say that he has undeniably moved car styling in a new direction, and left his mark on how we look at cars. I just happen to take aesthetic difference to that direction. I much prefer cleaner, more organic lines on a car.

I suspect that I would like his designs better if they were in another medium. But BMW's cars certainly provided wide exposure for his vision.

BMW has shifted a lot more cars since Bangle took over design.. and honestly, I think they needed somebody to shake up their design process.

Yes, I hated the E90.. and do not get me started on the 6er.. but his flame surfacing has matured over time, becoming less overt and more subtle. Like him or not, he was good for BMW

And I still think the Z4 is one drop dead beautiful car.. especially in coupe form

Personally, I think the Z4 was not finished until they did a coupe, it just looks so much more complete.

I very much like the looks of my 750Li. Love 'em or hate 'em the designs he produced got people talking, and brought a much needed fresh and new styling approach to what was becoming a stale BMW brand image. Current luxury car designs from Lexus and Mercedes definitely followed the approaches bangle pioneered including the "butt" and the flame surfacing. Yes, the new 5 series was a bit too slab sided when introduced. Yes, the face of the pre-facelift 7 series was droopy. Yes, the Z4 is dead sexy and where the flame surfacing design language works best.

I'm not surprised. He moved from being directly involved in design to a more management position a couple years ago and I'm guessing he wants to get back to having his hands on actual designs.

am i the only one who thought the z3 looked better than the z4? flame surfacing? I dunno, they always look like something that had grown rather than something that had been hewn.

belteshazzar wrote: am i the only one who thought the z3 looked better than the z4? flame surfacing? I dunno, they always look like something that had grown rather than something that had been hewn.

Z3 was classically gorgeous. The coupe version is sex. The Z4 was "edgy". The coupe version is what it needed to be finished.

I prefer organic lines on cars.

I love my 08 528i. It looks great, heck even the new idrive is worlds better then the older ones. But IMO they took the flame surface a bit to far in the beginning and it took a while for them to settle down.

I'll never own a Z4, no matter how good it may be. The Z3 is much prettier.

Nice guy or not, good riddance. I've seen very little to love from the Roundel until just recently. The last pretty car they did was the E46, IMO. "Flame surfacing"? GTFO. And take your I-drive with you.

As was said, his design direction was good for BMW's bottom line, which means, unlike the Aztek design, his was GOOD design. As part of Designworks USA, BMWs design arm, he was involved in a lot more than just automotive design, from speakers and furniture, to the interiors of corporate jets, to transportation layout, to point of sale marketing and packaging. I'm sure he's going to pull a Fisker, though he may just take up other product design instead.

And the "Bangle Butt" that so many people hate him for was actually designed by the guy that's replacing him as head of BMW design... As for iDrive, that has nothing to do with bangle, other than his team tried to integrate it.

For the record I think the 08 Z4 isn't as attractive as the Z3. (coupes included)

However, the 09 Z4 is a massive improvement. It almost looks like a 5/8 scale Z8.

Bangle was also responsible for BMW motorcycle design, (IIRC) which makes sense seeing their unorthodox designs of the last 10 years or so.

ddavidv wrote: I'll never own a Z4, no matter how good it may be. The Z3 is much prettier. Nice guy or not, good riddance. I've seen very little to love from the Roundel until just recently. The last pretty car they did was the E46, IMO. "Flame surfacing"? GTFO. And take your I-drive with you.

Am I the only one who likes iDrive?

Tommy Suddard wrote: Am I the only one who likes iDrive?

yes.

Original iDrive was lousy. iDrive 2.0 was a monstrous improvement. If you haven't used the newest system you're missing out.

Also, I like Bangle's stuff. I didn't love every single design, but the guy had balls when it came to putting unique stuff on the road. I like people that take creative chances. If there were no guys like him everything would look like a Taurus.

jg

to quote 5th gear..

people who can't use iDrive probably eat with a bib

and like him or not.. Bangle did change the automotive landscape. Good job sir.

DILYSI Dave wrote:

Tommy Suddard wrote: Am I the only one who likes iDrive?

yes.

I have used the original, and hated it. The new one is ok. But really, how hard is it to turn a knob on the dash to turn up your music, or turn up your AC.
I really wish I could buy a BMW 3 without a radio, without anything other than an AC.

Tommy may not be the only one who likes iDrive but I am pretty sure I'm the only one who read the title of this thread as "Bengal Quilts."

ignorant wrote: to quote 5th gear.. people who can't use iDrive probably eat with a bib

To quote Top Gear: The M5 is the ugliest and most annoying car ever.

Clarkson on the M5

Unless the Wunder Button is pressed, all the technology is complete rubbish. I concur. Leave all the gimmickry to the luxo barges like Lincolns and Infinitis. Proper performance cars don't need this crap, and buyers like myself don't want it and will, in fact, avoid it. But since most BMWs are purchased by poseurs who simply want the badge, I guess marketing is more important than product.

JG Pasterjak wrote: ...but the guy had balls when it came to putting unique stuff on the road.

clarkson also told hammond once "how fast does it do 0-60?" hamster: "4.3(or something)" clarkson: "ok, lets see it" [hammond starts fiddling with the iDrive] clarkson: "see, 15-20 seconds and you haven't even started off yet!"

can't remember which episode its from though

I think Bangle's designs will be looked on very favorably a few decades from now, particularly if he has success in other design areas. I won't be surprised if he's likened to Giugiaro, Bertone, Pininfarina and Graf von Goertz when the M Coupe and its peers are 50+ year old collector cars. It's hard to mistake his work for anyone else's, and he's certainly being copied quite a lot now.

iDrive is like a one-button mouse. It does the job and looks clean, but there are more efficient ways to get work done. I think Audi's system with the four multifunction tabs around the main interface knob is better.