4 Series World Premiere - BMW Concept 4

[martinbo]

I actually put those coordinates in Google Maps. They should make you mayor.

Yip - he got me too. Bastard.

 

[Beemer B773ER]

Yip - he got me too. Bastard.

I imagine he made at stop here...

52°11'24.1"N 6°32'34.8"W

 

[Matski]

I imagine he made at stop here...

52°11'24.1"N 6°32'34.8"W

Only to type out the coordinates long hand, so people couldn't just copy and paste them into Google.

I actually put those coordinates in Google Maps. They should make you mayor.

I've been told I drink like a Belarusian... I think I'd be well qualified.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Glad to see you back here on GCF. I sympathize on limiting your online presence as well. As a BMW-ophile, how do you feel about the 4er Concept, especially now that we have a confirmed take on the grille?

 

[Matski]

Glad to see you back here on GCF. I sympathize on limiting your online presence as well. As a BMW-ophile, how do you feel about the 4er Concept, especially now that we have a confirmed take on the grille?

Overall I like it, though I'll say right off the bat, I think without the refined details of the concept, and with more production oriented elements added, I'm really not sure it'll pull off the look as well.

I'm fine with big grilles in principle, and in execution here, I think they look good. The first thing I thought when I saw it was how it seemed like a homage to the 2000CS...

.. and I think in concept form it's mostly well integrated with the front of the car.

I've been far less keen on the new style of grille inserts they've been using on the M340i and Z4, but here, I can kind of see why they'd be doing it. Vertical grille slats that tall are going to make an even bolder statement. Mostly the thing about it I don't like, is the double bubble effect at the top of the grille, either side of the roundel, that's bugged me since it appeared on the Vision NEXT 100. I do like the way it leans forward though, I think that really helps the lines of the car, and brings back more of the 'shark-esque' look of the 60's, 70's and 80's.

The rest of the car looks great, the sculpting of the sides especially. I can see why people might bemoan the loss of a more traditional hoffmeister kink in the C-Pillar, but ignoring what you expect to see on a BMW, I think it works well.

Generally I accept it's time for BMW to move their styling game on. We've seen sparks of this design language going back a while now, and this is really the first car to pull it all together (in production form at least). The photoshops of the car with an 8-er grille on it, kind of emphasize to me why I like this. Those 'shops might be easier to like initially, but next to the actual concept, it looks a bit generic, and a little dated.. to the point where I could almost have expected this nose to debut on the more 'special' 8-er, and the 8-er's less exciting grille to be featured on the 4-er (a lesser model).

I guess we'll see how it all transfers over to a bog standard, flat white, 420d SE. I'm guessing not so well.

 

[dalab]

when I saw it was how it seemed like a homage to the 2000CS...

Mmmm, taking into account that the 2000CS in the photo, must be one of the ugliest fronts in the history of the brand, an unfortunate transition to the winning, beautiful and successful formula of the 70's, hopefully the 4 series would be the homage of anything else ...

 

[Matski]

Mmmm, taking into account that the 2000CS in the photo, must be one of the ugliest fronts in the history of the brand, an unfortunate transition to the winning, beautiful and successful formula of the 70's, hopefully the 4 series would be the homage of anything else ...

Perhaps. I've always liked it though. It's an often overlooked oddity thats very much a direct ancestor to the 4 series. I remember the first time I saw one at a BMW show, its clear why its overlooked in favour of the 3 litre coupes, but I'm a sucker for the smaller cars, especially with the front bumper removed.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Overall I like it, though I'll say right off the bat, I think without the refined details of the concept, and with more production oriented elements added, I'm really not sure it'll pull off the look as well.

I'm fine with big grilles in principle, and in execution here, I think they look good. The first thing I thought when I saw it was how it seemed...

Thanks, Matski... was very much looking forward to your opinion and I agree very much on the points you've brought up.

I was initially very much shocked by the front, despite all the spy pics, the Hommage concepts, and Garmsich concept that were introduced, in a way, to attentuate some of the shock. However, once the shock wore off, the more I like it. I think a 10-20% reduction in overall size and perhaps a smoothing of the outline that would make it similar to the CSL Hommage and more palatable. I most definitely agree that 8er-ification to the front would have robbed it of its identity.

What really matters is how well does the front and the rest translates when its put into production. As many have pointed out, the transition from concept to production of the 8er is indicative of what to expect.

As a side note, I checked out the 3er recently, and I love it. Overall interior and exterior are well done and feel premium with very minor quibbles that I'll elaborate if the mood strikes me. I just wished it'd come as a Touring in the States. I do loathe the M340i's grille's graphic, it looks terrible.

 

[Carnut]

Shmeeee likes it a lot, so the discussion is over, approved for production

The grill on that thing is just redicilous! But we see BMW's trend, it's bad.