3 Series (G50) [Spy shots] 2027 BMW 3 Series (G50)

[Matski]

I dunno, what do you all think? To me, this kind of approach would be more unmistakeable if it popped up behind me in the rear view mirror. Where the other NK design approach looks a lot more generic.

To me, there's more mileage in doing something more like angel eyes than there is with the kidney, from a simply aesthetic point of view, though in terms of looking a BMW it's probably the other way around.

I don't mind them shifting things up a bit though.

 

[Rolf]

A little time in an image editor.
Its not amazing, but this to me captures the aggression of a BMW, whilst keeping the more modern lines and elements.

I dunno, what do you all think? To me, this kind of approach would be more unmistakeable if it popped up behind me in the rear view mirror. Where the other NK design approach looks a lot more generic.

This looks better and gives it E36 vibes

 

[klier]

I don't mind them shifting things up a bit though.

Hear, hear

 

[SaltkjelenBMW]

I agree. One of the problems with the NK is the lack of BMW identity in the light signature. You could easily identify a BMW miles away with the old light design. Now it could be a Kia, Toyota, BYD, «Ding Dong» or any other Chinese design.

Look how good NK looks with the good old angel eyes.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

I agree. One of the problems with the NK is the lack of BMW identity in the light signature. You could easily identify a BMW miles away with the old light design. Now it could be a Kia, Toyota, BYD, «Ding Dong» or any other Chinese design.

Look how good NK looks with the good old angel eyes.

I like it, though it's a bit predictable. The current NK headlights help establish a new era of BMW so it's not so in debt to the past while having other design features that anchor it as a brand.

 

[Tuffode]

You guys are all blind

 

[SaltkjelenBMW]

I don't think the new NK headlights will establish a strong design icon for the BMW brand, as the light signature is too similar to other brands. The angel eyes was simply BMW, and everybody knows it - it was like BMW trademarked the angel eyes. You could recognise a BMW from a mile with the old light design.

For example, you could easily see a 4 Series in the dark, but with the LCI lights it suddenly looks like a Peugeot or something else Chinese.

 

[klier]

I don't think the new NK headlights will establish a strong design icon for the BMW brand, as the light signature is too similar to other brands. The angel eyes was simply BMW, and everybody knows it - it was like BMW trademarked the angel eyes. You could recognise a BMW from a mile with the old light design.

For example, you could easily see a 4 Series in the dark, but with the LCI lights it suddenly looks like a Peugeot or something else Chinese.

The Angel Eyes were on the facelift of the E39 and on the Bangle generation of Bimmers. That's not all that many models in the end.

You can't honestly say these headlights of the '21-'24 4er are Angel Eyes, because they are not.
The '25 update looks far better, and way more clean and modern. If I were to get a pre facelift G80, I'd for sure retrofit the facelift headlight graphics.

Clean, instead of contrived for the sake of being original.

 

[SaltkjelenBMW]

By angel eyes (corona rings) is meant O/U/J/L-lights which have been the strongest brand identity in the automotive world for the past 25 years. The level of detail in the pre-LCI lights is in a completely different league than the LCI lights. I think you are in the minority who think that the LCI lights are nicer than pre-LCI, but we have to agree to disagree. Retrofitting from pre-LCI laser to LCI-LED is also a downgrade imo.

The details (or lack of details) in the headlight (and the design) is just horrendous.

 

[AbsoluteUnit]

I'm not a fan of this modern trend that basically completely flattens and removes detail from logos and iconography.
There is a happy medium somewhere.
The vertical bars are fine, but then you need the kidneys. Or you don't have the kidneys and you keep the round angel eyes.

Not having either would require a substantial effort to create something with a strong impression that is also unique, but also feels BMW.

I'm not completely against that NK facia, but when I look at the front end alone, it looks pretty generic. That's not to say it looks bad. It just lacks distinctness.

 

[Uygar]

Unfortunately so many brands were using the angel eyes, to a point that every car looked like a BMW from the front. I really like what they did with the NK DRL’s, though it could be definitely more 3D and detailed.

Just to give examples

 

[klier]

I think you are in the minority who think that the LCI lights are nicer than pre-LCI, but we have to agree to disagree.

You just want to believe that because it's your preferred way. It's perfectly fine but will of course never be substantiated by any datapoint. I could easily claim the same.

All the examples you've given are designed for the sake of design, and IMO none aged well other than the original round real Angel Eyes.
Cutting edge LED lights require a completely new way of thinking about headlight design, and the BMW way of before has ran its course and then some. It's done. Over. Whether we like it or not, the next stage of lighting is arriving......the lights will be flatter and less 3D (or not 3D at all)

 

[Matski]

 

[AbsoluteUnit]

The only reason this bait and switch works is because that design detail is synonymous with BMW.

But more to the point, this is why it's the combination of the hoffmeister kink, angel eyes and kidneys are what makes something distinctly a BMW.

The iX3 as a whole looks very BMW. But without the kidneys the NK0 and G50 look very non-descript. But that is of course, my opinion.

 

[Matski]

But more to the point, this is why it's the combination of the hoffmeister kink, angel eyes and kidneys are what makes something distinctly a BMW.

Nah, I mean, if they're styling details you like, fine... but at the end of the day, what makes something a BMW is if BMW stick their name on it - same as pretty much any other brand. People will make justifications based on vague suggestions if it's something they like, and if they don't like it they'll criticise it for not being the norm, or what's true xyzbrand.

- this post is dedicated to all the BMW 700 owners out there, no quad headlamps, angel eyes, or Hoffmeister kinks (or L shaped tail lamps) butchya cars still saved the company, and the kids 'o today don't care, because everything needs to look the same.