Chris Bangle quits BMW

[peks]

This should cause a stir...

http://www.autonews.com/article/20090203/COPY01/302039879/1144

[Ross]

Appears he's been moonlighting at Hyundai for a while now anyway.

[repenttokyo]

Best present a bmw owner could ever receive.

[Kibokojoe]

He didn't design my 89 535i so who cares :) Aah-deos and don't let the screen door hit you in the butt.

[BennyM]

Yeah, but he's being replaced by a guy named Van Hooydonk. It was a lot easier to say "that guy bangled the design!" than "that guy totally vanhooydonked it!" IMO

[bmwrp8]

Yeah, but he's being replaced by a guy named Van Hooydonk. It was a lot easier to say "that guy bangled the design!" than "that guy totally vanhooydonked it!" IMO

lol

[BMWDriver]

I like what he did to the 3 and Z series, I'm mitigated on the 5, and I hate the latest 7. The 7 looks like a caricature more than anything else. X5 is nice, X3, not so much, X6 is so-so. And the 6... well, I like that the series are back, and it looks allright.

We're so far away from the german "form-meets-function" designs, which our e34s were born out of.

Let's cross our fingers...

[Ross]

Cross your toes also. Van Hookydoo is reponsible for this little wart.
http://www.motorauthority.com/gallery/bmw-v5-pas-rendering/2010-bmw-5-gt-preview-002.html

[BMWDriver]

Looks like a p-chop of X6 and 3 series... and the front end looks like the 7... A skillfuly done p-chop, in my opinion. I could be wrong.

[BMW4LIFE]

I want to apologize in advance for sounding like a dick but as far as his designs go...I think he is a genius!!!

look what he did for BMW

America-born Bangle, 52, joined BMW in 1992 and modernized the conservative styling of the premium brand's cars. Bangle's distinctive themes of flame surfacing and pronounced trunk lids aroused strong opposition from many in the industry but the styling was a commercial success, helping BMW to overtake rival Mercedes-Benz as the global No. 1 premium brand by unit sales in 2006.

furthermore I think all his designs KICK ASS...they took BMW to a whole new level....all the Bimmers were just being slightly modified but he changed the face of BMW...

if you look closely look at some of the recent cars you will see that some of them have copied BMW design to a point...

Personally i think the new bimmers are soooo much more of an eye catcher than they use to be...i remember when the 2001 5 series can out when i bought my e34 and i was cool...thats nice

then when the 2004 came out i was ****!!!!!!! thats awesome! I feel the same for the 3 and the X5 but you guys are right...the X3 is kinda weak both in design and concept

Overall I don't think that I am right and anyone is wrong as it is all preference but if you look at the graph, data, paper work, etc you will see that Bangle was a hit for BMW

[repenttokyo]

I want to apologize in advance for sounding like a dick but as far as his designs go...I think he is a genius!!!

look what he did for BMW

America-born Bangle, 52, joined BMW in 1992 and modernized the conservative styling of the premium brand's cars. Bangle's distinctive themes of flame surfacing and pronounced trunk lids aroused strong opposition from many in the industry but the styling was a commercial success, helping BMW to overtake rival Mercedes-Benz as the global No. 1 premium brand by unit sales in 2006.

furthermore I think all his designs KICK ASS...they took BMW to a whole new level....all the Bimmers were just being slightly modified but he changed the face of BMW...

if you look closely look at some of the recent cars you will see that some of them have copied BMW design to a point...

Personally i think the new bimmers are soooo much more of an eye catcher than they use to be...i remember when the 2001 5 series can out when i bought my e34 and i was cool...thats nice

then when the 2004 came out i was ****!!!!!!! thats awesome! I feel the same for the 3 and the X5 but you guys are right...the X3 is kinda weak both in design and concept

Overall I don't think that I am right and anyone is wrong as it is all preference but if you look at the graph, data, paper work, etc you will see that Bangle was a hit for BMW

i don't think bangle had anything to do with their success. brainwashed yuppies are going to buy high dollar status symbols no matter what they look like. bmw owes their recent success to their advertising and image departments, not styling.

[gale]

This should cause a stir...

http://www.autonews.com/article/20090203/COPY01/302039879/1144

That is GREAT NEWS!!! :D

http://www.musicnotes.com/images/productimages/mtd/MN0019049.gif

I have waited so long for this day. I haven't heard news this good since Hillary dropped out of the primaries.

[Ken35i]

Not only did he change BMW he changed the way some car companies design their cars. How many cars look like BMWs now? Lexus, Hyundai...that's all I can think of now. And other car companies 'borrowing' little design features from them. He made his mark, maybe not a good one in alot of peoples oppinion.

The only BMW I like, that he designed, is the Z4...just looks hot, with or without the roof. Did he design the current 7 series? I don't mind that look for a big luxo car.
*chuckle* Disregard that, he didn't design the Z4.:p

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

I want to apologize in advance for sounding like a dick but as far as his designs go...I think he is a genius!!!

look what he did for BMW

America-born Bangle, 52, joined BMW in 1992 and modernized the conservative styling of the premium brand's cars. Bangle's distinctive themes of flame surfacing and pronounced trunk lids aroused strong opposition from many in the industry but the styling was a commercial success, helping BMW to overtake rival Mercedes-Benz as the global No. 1 premium brand by unit sales in 2006.

furthermore I think all his designs KICK ASS...they took BMW to a whole new level....all the Bimmers were just being slightly modified but he changed the face of BMW...

if you look closely look at some of the recent cars you will see that some of them have copied BMW design to a point...

Personally i think the new bimmers are soooo much more of an eye catcher than they use to be...i remember when the 2001 5 series can out when i bought my e34 and i was cool...thats nice

then when the 2004 came out i was ****!!!!!!! thats awesome! I feel the same for the 3 and the X5 but you guys are right...the X3 is kinda weak both in design and concept

Overall I don't think that I am right and anyone is wrong as it is all preference but if you look at the graph, data, paper work, etc you will see that Bangle was a hit for BMW

He played a big joke on the auto world...now Bangle butt can be spotted on everything from camry, lexus and every douche mobile from Korea.


I hear that he will now chase his true passion of creating fashion eyeware for transvestites.

http://www.dame-edna.com/gallery.htm

[peks]

I was curious to see what kind of reaction this would get.. The press and the the old school bimmer faithful have complained about his design directions forever.

In my opinion (with 20-20 hindsight of course)...
When Bangle joined BMW, they needed a change in direction. If it wasnt Bangle, it would have been someone else. I like most of the work under his direction, especially the daring e65 and z4. But whether you like it or not, the Bangle designs were an incredible success, moving BMW to the equal and arguably the superior of MB in the entire mass-production luxury car realm.

[Ross]

"arguably"

[Russell]

Adriaan Von Hooydonk, the new head of BMW design, was the real designer of the fourth generation seven series. Look for even more radical design on some BMW vehicles!

[peks]

"arguably"

So is BMW the equal or the inferior of MB currently in your opinion?:)

[Kibokojoe]

What about reliability, hasn't it suffered

[DaveVoorhis]

So is BMW the equal or the inferior of MB currently in your opinion?
Based on what criteria?

[Ross]

So is BMW the equal or the inferior of MB currently in your opinion?:)
Since this thread is about styling I think my answer would be obvious, MB.
As far as others adopting the "Bangle" style, I believe lesser brands, especially the Asian marques, will copy whatever the prestige brands do. I wouldn't regard this a success or flattery of Mr. Bangles work. If MB or BMW were to carve a turd onto the hood you'd see this shape coming ashore from the Pacific shortly. The Hyundai Maybach is a perfect example.
BMW is well rid of Bangle. BlitzkriegBob said it best.

[Kibokojoe]

Polls show that newer BMW are less reliable. Internet is loaded with P'd off BMW owners gouged for huge dollar repairs for needless repairs. I personally like the one about the $500 dollar repair so a Bimmer dealer could get a key to work in an ignition. Ha and the guy had to wait a week and he was on the road out of town. Getting the ignition repaired, hotel room and meals probably cost him what I paided for my sons 735i :)

Glad I have my 89 535i rock solid, really enjoy driving it.

[Russell]

Adriaan Von Hooydonk, the new head of BMW design, was the real designer of the fourth generation seven series. Look for even more radical design on some BMW vehicles!

I understand that disagreement over project i (small city car) was part of the problem. Management and Hooydonk were on the winning side. Perhaps he was too conservative? :)

[repenttokyo]

Adriaan Von Hooydonk, the new head of BMW design, was the real designer of the fourth generation seven series. Look for even more radical design on some BMW vehicles!

they really blanded down the new 7 because they had alienated a large part of their buyer base.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Adriaan Von Hooydonk, the new head of BMW design, was the real designer of the fourth generation seven series. Look for even more radical design on some BMW vehicles!

At least it will be more fun to say "that BMW was all hooydonk'd"

or Ba donk a Hooydonk butt

Aaahh, he Hooydonk'd it.


eeeww, what's that smell? Uh, I think I stepped in some Hooydonk.

Oh, sh!t, that was a close call, I think I hooydonk'd my shorts.

[BMWDriver]

BMWs are still a luxury car, and they do look it. And they do have that modern look indeed. But, there are a lot of useless curves, especially with the front lights, on top of the bling chrome inside. And as far as the 5 series go, the side panels and doors after that look empty. It's like a half empty canvass. I'm really not sold on the 5.

I like the Z, 1 and 3 series better because there is something there at least. The 3 sedan ain't as good as the coupé. The doors are shorter on the two doors, which gives much less emptyness to the design.

Anyway. As far as Mercs go, I think some of them look even worse than BMW. I don't know their model lineup, but the biggest and most luxurious recent ones look like UFOs to me. Mercs are always grandpa's cars to me, even though they are powerful. The SLK and their equivalent of Z are probably the best looking ones to me, but you see the F1 connection they are making with the SLK (the nose), which is a real turnoff to me. They're selling an F1 car to you with that design.

The nicest designs on current manufactured cars in my view, are the Bentley coupés, and the Vanquish.

As a testament to most of our opinions here, when I watched Live Free or Die Hard, what sexy car have they brought as the rich, bad guy's ride ? A white e38 7 series with nice MPar wheels.

Bubble curves, bigger kidneys and no more front bumpers, that seems to be what's coming. If you want to "meet" Van Hookydonk, you can visit the 7 series highlights page on BMW.com and let him explain his team's design. (Won't show on BMW.ca, and probably other local BMW sites neither, because the newest 7 ain't available everywhere yet, it seems.)

[repenttokyo]

Oh, sh!t, that was a close call, I think I hooydonk'd my shorts.

we've all been there.

[Rick L]

YES! I’m tired of innovative design direction that ruined BMW design! I like to see something that captivates my eyes at first glance than trying to grow into it!!!


This should cause a stir...

http://www.autonews.com/article/20090203/COPY01/302039879/1144

[Mordan]

The press and the the old school bimmer faithful have complained about his design directions forever.

**** yea! I hate Chris Bangle's designs. they all suck.
but then I'm oldschool who loves rough edges and despises aerodynamic plastic crap.

[Russell]

**** yea! I hate Chris Bangle's designs. they all suck.
but then I'm oldschool who loves rough edges and despises aerodynamic plastic crap.
Well- rather strong wording. However, I also like my "old school e34".

I understand that Bangle may do non-automotive product design. Innovation is often more appreciated/understood there as product life is much shorter than most automobiles.

[repenttokyo]

I understand that Bangle may do non-automotive product design. Innovation is often more appreciated/understood there as product life is much shorter than most automobiles.

plus you can hide it in your home where no one else ever has to see it.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

I understand that Bangle may do non-automotive product design. Innovation is often more appreciated/understood there as product life is much shorter than most automobiles.

Yeah, a new line of dildos.

"Get banged with a Bangle"