He also got it right about the previous model EnI? Cause i don't recall anyone from BMW accepting the truth that indeed the E65 was flawed...
Of course nobody is that stupid admitting a product being a "flaw". Especially during the product's lifecycle. It's much wiser to to it retrospectively - discretely, with a new generation product, addressing all the major issues.
Of course E65 was far from being perfect. We all know it wasn't agile enough for a BMW. Not to mention some engineering "imperfections" inside & outside. It was conceived in very hard times for BMW (ie. Rover fiasco), and a lack of resources led to releasing far from perfect final product.
Design wise: one part depended on engineering (proportions were set by marketing & engineering), while styling was a matter of taste. But mind the clay model looked very good. But many details were lost in production.
BUT ... The car was a clear statement by BMW.
Mind without new approach BMW wouldn't be able to make a breakthrough in Asian markets (eg. China), where MB has an advantage of bigger brand cache, and Audi enjoying the image of state car (at least in China).
Due to design revolution BMW has been exposed more than ever before - and they needed a distraction. Since everybody was talking about Rover fiasco at that time.
And the car was unconventional for a BMW, and very controversial since it broke away from some traditional BMW trademarks: like physically driver oriented cockpit, stick gear shifter, sleek & fluent proportions, elegant details.
Just like E85 Z4, the E65 pre-FL is much more appreciated today then it was at its launch.
The main error was that BMW official didn't communicate the product properly. They threw Chris to the press, let him doing the dirty job, and getting all the punches. Be sure he was awarded for that difficult task!
But with new generation BMWs the current ones are making much more sense - styling wise. And it seems some journalists are starting to realize that.
Design wise: the cars were "flawed" due bad design engineering - due the lack of resources.
Today the situation is much different. Perfection & quality are much more integrated in core values. Design engineering teams are much more dedicated to the projects than ever before.
Styling wise: it was said zillion times by Bangle & van Hooydonk the design revolution / experience was needed to break away from old traditional restrains. It was cathartic, and opened some very fresh & new perspectives in BMW culture. Not only in design department, but through the entire company. Mind GINA project for example. Or X-coupe etc.
And it was announced already in 2002 the new generation of cars will be an evolution & refinement of the revolutionary designs - which had a task to push styling boundaries as far as possible. Ver. 2.0 is now having task to refine the current solutions. Therefore new designs & stylings will be a mix of traditional (as seen in old generations; eg. shark nose, L-shaped tail lamps, driver-oriented cockpit, sleek proportions etc) & revolutionary cues (seen in current generation; eg. flame-surfacing, shark-fin antena, eyebrows, etc).
We can say BMW is back on track with traditional BMW engineering & design (general proportions, sporty-elegance appearence, driver-oriented ergonomics), while styling is still contemporary (flame-surfacing, contemporary details like shark-fin antena, eybrows etc). Yet all typical BMW design / styling trademarks are (re)incorporated:
- sporty proportions
- quad round headlights
- L-shaped tail lamps
- Hofmeister kink
- driver-oriented cockpit
- shark-nose
****
Cars like E65, E85, E83, E87, E63, E60 won't be cherished as "classic beauties", but will be cherished as "the generation" who helped to revive BMW company, brand & design.
Without them the following generation (F01 7er, E89 Z4, E84 X1, F07 PAS, F25 X3, F10 5er etc) won't be possible. A mix of new & old, without being retro.
As Chris said when introducing E65:
"We have a whole new car here. We're really, realy confident that we have here a real winner, and not just a "blub" on a horizon. It's something that's really a powerful long-term statement for BMW. And a basis by which we'll make a whole new generations of BMWs available."
Yet nobody listen to the idea behind, but just focusing on clumsy details & execution.
Just adding: the idea is indeed really great, but the execution wasn't as perfect as expected (engineers just made the car too tall - damaging the proportions etc, while designers went too far with the fascia & tail: incorporating very inelegant details - eg. kidneys, headlights, tail lights etc). With better design engineering (with better resources) many imperfections wouldn't be there, and much less noise would be made. Yet press exposure was enormous, and gave BMW huge secondary & tertiary publicity - putting the brand & the products in the very much spotlight of automotive industry. An once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
You will probably guess who so I am not going to reveal who. 
