4 Series (G22) World Premiere - BMW Concept 4

[dalab]

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Side profile and rear are ace.

The front....the grille....jeez. Reduce the area by 20 to 25%, and I think it'll much better. Hood shutline and headlights look good.

I have a feeling the grille is that massive so we'll be acclimated to the production version.

 

[mdartisian]

The grille is so hideous because it's missing the horizontal bars in the kidney's. Too much empty space.

 

[TheNewBATMAN]

Is there anywhere in the press release where a bloke typed "forbidden fcuking grille" ??

 

[dalab]

Side profile and rear are ace.

The front....the grille....jeez. Reduce the area by 20 to 25%, and I think it'll much better. Hood shutline and headlights look good.

I have a feeling the grille is that massive so we'll be acclimated to the production version.

Exactly, and I calculate 10% less, and even though it will be huge (I think it is the largest of all), will seem more digestible.
The whole car amazes me more and more.

 

[dalab]

roadandtrack.com
BMW is taking a bold approach to its next generation of two-door coupes.

It's just revealed this car, the Concept 4, as a preview for the next 4-un, at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show. It's rocking one of the most distinctive looks we've seen on a BMW in a long time.

caranddriver.com
BMW has a long and strong design tradition, but it's also not afraid to push the walls of the styling box it's in—sometimes to a fault. The latest example of the company's styling overzealousness is the just-introduced Concept 4.

motortrend.com
Show car might be the most controversial in Frankfurt
What makes this car all the prettier are all its 3D elements difficult to see in the photos. The headlights aren't covered, but rather are light pipes of sorts; the taillights were given the same treatment. The wheels are works of art. Peek into the vestigial side mirror and you'll see a BMW logo set behind glass, too.

 

[Mii]

85% I would say towards production same as THE 8 Concept from 2017.
There is a lot of debate, praise and even revulsion which I find delicious indeed.
The M3 is also going to be wearing this front.

Will production 4 retain the shark-nose angle as the concept 4? THE 8 Concept had similar characteristic and wasn't carry over to production 8.

The new front end interpretation is rather revolutionary for BMW. For people who are still having tough time adjusting to it, think of it as the entire front end interpretation with combined top/bottom air intake opening, instead of focus on just kidney grilles.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Exactly that. It’s not its sheer size that bothers me, it’s the shape and lack of depth and definition. Instead, it looks ornamental. The Alfa comparison stands to reason but is still off as the cuore is integrated more smoothly into most current or recent Alfa faces. On this concept, you could easily imagine a number of other kidney shapes that would work.
And what’s up with the small painted triangle at the bottom of the kidneys‘ interconnection? Would have been more consistent and interesting with this spike as part of the air intake. (The hood, however, is sculpted beautifully, and I guess the reverse Hofmeister helps the silhouette to look much more dynamic and less Camino than that of the 8er.)


The Hommage CSL version of „tall kidneys“ on the other hand, exudes something really sporty, organic, and simple. Hopefully, we‘ll see those reduced designs (Hommage cars, VFL as well) in production someday. I fear we won’t.

Perfectly said. A simplified grille shape would helped reduce a great deal of earned criticism. The Hommage grille's outline had the right idea.

Maybe if they made them 20% shorter on the production version I'd be okay with it. All other aspects of the car are very very nice!

Word.

Another piece of criticism: not feeling the H-kink on this. And this is coming from a guy who is ok with 8GC's C-pillar.

 

[Sunny]

I remember when I fell in love with BMW as a kid in the late 80s and early 90s, every new model would have a smaller grill than the one before. Like they made actual technical progress and figured out how to make the cooling more efficient and hence needing a smaller grill and making the whole car more aerodynamic. Almost like how every new F1 season, the new cars would have smaller side ducts than the year before. It gave the design a essence of evolution and progress. And a sense of being engineering focused and form following function.

And now this! Sad, but kind of fitting though for the times, given how BMW is no longer an engineering focused company, but a fluff design house.

Funny side note - when BMW came out E60 M5 with a freaking V10, my muscle car fan friend used to make fun how BMW was run by a bunch of engineers mastrubating off. On the same logic, now it looks like BMW is run by a bunch of designers mastrubating each other off.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Funny side note - when BMW came out E60 M5 with a freaking V10, my muscle car fan friend used to make fun how BMW was run by a bunch of engineers mastrubating off. On the same logic, now it looks like BMW is run by a bunch of marketing folks mastrubating each other off.

I got ya. FIFY.

 

[manuelf]

Hm. I seem to belong to a very tiny minority here ... but I do like the concept. I would buy it/drive it in this form. It is a bold statement. Yes. But to me it is cohesive.
I rather fear, that the series production form - eventually with a toned down grill - will not be such a convincing statement.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

The initial RL pic with 4er concept flanked by the iNext and M Concepts, I was really turned off by the front. The PSed-to-hell press pics didn't help either. However the BP RL pics have mellowed my opinions a bit. The front 3/4 view highlights the angled upper portion of the grille, helping to reduce the height somewhat, like with the 7er LCI. I still contend reducing the overall area of the grille and simplifying the outline would do wonders for the front.

 

[LaArtist]

Hm. I seem to belong to a very tiny minority here ... but I do like the concept. I would buy it/drive it in this form. It is a bold statement. Yes. But to me it is cohesive.
I rather fear, that the series production form - eventually with a toned down grill - will not be such a convincing statement.

You might be in luck then, I was watching one of these IAA videos and bmw says this car is 80% production ready.. looking forward to the M4 lol

 

[Laurent T]

Scott, at what point did the design team thought...yes this is the grill.

I was hoping for the front end to look similar to the BMW 3.0 Hommage concept.

This would be a more "conservative" size increase for the grille.

 

[bmwz4coupe]

I also think (and hope) the grille will be toned down, but it will be big...serie-7 big??

 

[EnI]

The "horizontal dotted bars" graphics inside the new 4er grille is M Performance graphics. As seen on other BMW Mxx models.

M models will feature full horizontal double-bars.

Core models will feature full vertical single-bars.

i models will feature single-kidney w/o central separator, with filled solid space - tilled inwards @ the top & @ the bottom, with diamond imprint (as seen on i Vision Dynamics concept).


Btw - A SHOCKER !!! - expect the production model to feature even BIGGER kidney grille than the Concept. Expanded all down to the front spoiler lip, with radar module incorporated at the bottom in the left kidney. Expect a tad bigger + fuller headlights & tail lights; functional side mirrors & functional boot cover.

the new 4er will be one of the most controversial BMW design in years! Think of it of Bangle-like controversial in the manner of E65 7er, E63 6er, E60 5er and E85 Z4. And then there's iNext, LOL. And the X8 ....

And I'm hearing the next 7er will be a genuine shocker! Imagine G11 7er LCI on steroids. Slicker side profile, better proportions but some extreme & sharp detailing coming! Oh, no ... that car won't be labelled as vanilla ... for sure.

Yep, the Bangle-like polarizing extravaganza is back, baby! Another design revolution @ BMW ... After 2 generations of evolution. CLAR WE + electric era is an opportunity for new design revolution @ BMW Group. Even with traditional BMW design trademarks (double kidney grille, Hoffmeister kink, L-shaped tail lights, quad-projector headlights) heavily reinterpreted.

I'm hearing they are planning something similar for MINI as well. MINI Ver3.0 is coming!

 

[SCOTT27]

So how does everybody feel now that they have slept on it?

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

The "horizontal dotted bars" graphics inside the new 4er grille is M Performance graphics. As seen on other BMW Mxx models.

M models will feature full horizontal double-bars.

Core models will feature full vertical single-bars.

i models will feature single-kidney w/o central separator, with filled solid space - tilled inwards @ the top & @ the bottom, with diamond imprint (as seen on i Vision Dynamics concept).


Btw - A SHOCKER !!! - expect the production model to feature even BIGGER kidney grille than the Concept. Expanded all down to the front spoiler lip, with radar module incorporated at the bottom in the left kidney. Expect a tad bigger + fuller headlights & tail lights; functional side mirrors & functional boot cover.

the new 4er will be one of the most controversial BMW design in years! Think of it of Bangle-like controversial in the manner of E65 7er, E63 6er, E60 5er and E85 Z4. And then there's iNext, LOL. And the X8 ....

And I'm hearing the next 7er will be a genuine shocker! Imagine G01 LCI on steroids. Slicker side profile, better proportions but some extreme & sharp detailing coming! Oh, no ... that car won't be labelled as vanilla ... for sure.

Yep, the Bangle-like polarizing extravaganza is back, baby! Another design revolution @ BMW ... After 2 generations of evolution. CLAR WE + electric era is an opportunity for new design revolution @ BMW Group. Even with traditional BMW design trademarks (double kidney grille, Hoffmeister kink, L-shaped tail lights, quad-projector headlights) heavily reinterpreted.

I'm hearing they are planning something similar for MINI as well. MINI Ver3.0 is coming!

Great news finally

 

[Monster]

So how does everybody feel now that they have slept on it?

Scott, I was too horrified to sleep after seeing the photos, the front end is still horrible, and to think the production grill is apparently going to be even bigger still..

 

[as7920]

So how does everybody feel now that they have slept on it?

I'm just fine. Making my decision to swap brands even easier.