Repost: Stop Bangle :).... - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

///MorePower · 12th August 2001, 11:10

The petition has 294 signatures. At 400 I will re-notify BMW, and try to talk to someone about it. So keep signing, at 300 signatures, BMW stand to lose $21 million dollars, in potential revenue.

Stop Bangle

Also you could send a letter to the editor at Motertrend

Motertrend

Consider this pre-emptive bitching, because if Bangle redesigns the M5, by the time we get to see it will be too late to stop production.

EBMCS03 · 12th August 2001, 22:29

Speaking of Bangle, did he have anything to do with the up comming X3 head lights?? I dont like them... they look like eyes for one thing... scares me... Sorry I dont have a scanner or I would post a pic of it but I have seen it in a few magazines... a clear pic of it is in the Aug 2001 issue of Automobile, the one featuring the FIVE M cars... the E60 lights better not look like that. Anyone else have a different view on the X3 lights?

///MorePower · 15th August 2001, 04:33

302, keep signing, remember "pre-emptive bitching". Because it's too late once *we* get to see the new 5 series, to be able to change it.

msc3 · 21st August 2001, 04:16

In this month's Road & Track magazine (it doesn't appear on their web-site) there is a future cars article that has a "picture" of their guess as to what the new Bangleized 5 series is going to look like as well as a brief narrative. Sigh, God I hope they are wrong.

KLittle · 21st August 2001, 08:07

At the risk of taking some heat from others on the board, let me give you some insight into the design process for BMW.

I had agreed with literally all of the previous comments made regarding Chris Bangle and future BMW designs. However, myself along with several others including Gustav, were enlightened last Friday evening at the BMWCCA dinner in Carmel Valley.

Adrian, a designer from the BMW Design Center in Southern California explained the BMW design process in great detail. There are roughly 40 designers both here and in Germany working for BMW. Once it is decided that a model be changed the group begins the design process, the design of the car is split between interior and exterior. The designers actually compete amongst themselves to create the winning design of the new car. Unlike American car makers who allow someone to design the front, another the sides and yet another to design the rear. These individual designs are then blended together to make the new car.

It takes roughly a year to get the design completed through a realistic clay model. These models cannot be told from the actual car as they have all lights, windows, etc. and are even painted. The decision on the design is that of the board of BMW and not Chris Bangle's alone. The board collectively approves the design throughout the process. The final decision for design win is made rather quickly based on in depth communication with the board throughout the design process.

From this point it takes three years to get the car through production and to the marketplace. BMW is continuing to evolve it's future generation cars. There will be distinct differences between the different series', as seen with the latest seven series. In the future the different series' will not all look the same except for size, ie 3,5 and 7 series.

We were also fortunate to speak with Adrian in depth after the dinner. We let him know that we were not the Chris Bangle fan club. This is when he went into great detail regarding the BMW design process.

Regarding photo's seen in magazines, BMW does not release any pictures to the media in advence of car introduction. Many of the pic's seen in magazines are not legitimate as recently was the case with Europe's largest car magazine. The actual new model pictures will be seen on BMW's website first.

I hope that this helps in some way as BMW is continuing to improve each series with new car introductions. Nothing stays the same forever, they need to continue to evolve to stay competitive.

I'm sure that Adrian is going to monitor this site, especially after meeting Gustav, who drilled him on the new seven series design which was his own design. BMW designers are so competitive that they want to see each and every one of their individual designs become a classic. If the design stands the test of time it was successful.

msc3 · 21st August 2001, 11:17

Ken,

Thanks for the insight on the design process. I won't beat this dead horse again other than to say that I hope that what I saw in R&T was WAY off of the mark in terms of accuracy.

Teutonaddict · 21st August 2001, 13:38

While I've been following the new 7er discussion for a while, and hoping the new 5er is not too similar to the 'spy photos,' I realized I'd need to see both in the flesh to decide for sure.

Ken, your insight into the BMW design process was very helpful. While we are all lashing out at Bangle, we need to realize it may not be as simple as we think! While auto writers would have us believe that individual designers 'own' a design, the reality differs considerably.

My first Bimmer (92 E36 325i/5---a Bangle-credited design) was a then-radical departure from its predecessor, so the company is known for periodic step-wise changes. I'm holding off judging until I see it for real.

-Dave

///MorePower · 22nd August 2001, 04:22

KLittle,

Thanks for the info, I regret asking for Bangle to be fired, however, I still (no matter who designed it) despise the new 7. I'm only trying to make how I (and many others) feel about the looks of the new 7, so when they go to design the new 5,3,M cars they'll be very careful about taking ANY design concepts for the 7, it's all I ask.

I understand that they have to change the way the cars look, but I don't have to like it

.