A photo supposedly taken on a BMW factory floor and uploaded to BimmerPost appears to show a production-ready passenger car with a face only a mother could love.
It’s no secret that BMW’s signature kidney grille has expanded in recent years, first touching in the middle before heading downward for extra acreage. It’s part of the automaker’s attempt at simple yet bold vehicle design, and it seems to be working. For better or worse, they’re getting noticed. And it will certainly be difficult not to notice this Bimmer’s snout when it rolls into a dealer or driveway near you.
The vehicle is widely believed to be the next-generation 4 Series, appearing first in coupe and convertible format sometime in the latter part of next year. An updated four-door Gran Coupe follows a year later.
Built on BMW’s CLAR platform and boasting updated designs, tech, and internal combustion motivation, the yet-to-be-revealed 4 Series was heralded, in a way, by the recent release of the Concept 4 — a show car that hints at design language to follow. Viewers of the Concept 4, including many TTAC readers, voiced their shock at the vehicle’s (and the brand’s) enlarged intakes. Given that the concept was a coupe, and that the 4 Series is still a model line hosting such a bodystyle, it’s not a reach to believe the concept and eventual 4 Series will share some overlap.
That said, the unconfirmed 4 Series in the blog images is a radical departure from the current design, a vehicle this coupe-loving writer happens to be quite smitten with. The two openings now bear no resemblance to a kidney, and boy, are they tall. One can’t help but think of the intakes of a fighter jet, or perhaps the taillights of a 1960 Edsel. Some internet wags have suggested the new grille is more reminiscent of the twin caskets of a dead couple, joined together for eternity.
Whether this face becomes a reality on the 4 Series or perhaps another product remains to be seen. And if it does, you can bet it will be seen.
[Image: BimmerPost]
Kidneys give way to butt cheeks. So where’s the problem?
Lol, does “ass” make it through the filters here? Because that’s what I’m calling the current gen BMW’s afflicted with this malady – ass-face.
Seriously though, every time i think an automaker has finally pushed design to the point of meaningful pushback, it proves a successful strategy and ends up borrowed and adapted by others.
Kidney grille? Now it looks like a nut sack grille. And I will be the first to admit that I actually prefer the Lexus spindle over this ugliness.
The Lexus spindle is 100x better than this monstrosity. Plus they will still sell you a naturally aspirated engine. Not that I was much of a BMW guy before, but I just can’t imagine myself buying a new one under any circumstances. Sad.
LOL — this just might appeal to the urban fellows who pimp walk their “full featured”, tailless, short hair dogs. Maybe the Teuton designers will add a bit of convexity to the lower part of the grill — ja, das ist das ticket!
“Kidneys give way to butt cheeks.”
Still better than vagina or toilet seat. Or may be not.
it appears the Ford Edsel was ahead of its time.
Came in here to say “Hey, it’s a Bavarian Edsel!” but three of the nine comments are already making that connection. Maybe we’re not the Best and Brightest, but we’re Pretty Damn Good and Not Dumb.
Except BMW went even further, giving the car a dual Edsel grille. Definitely worse than the Lexus spindle.
Special order WS6?
More like the G6 GXP Coupe.
This face was already glimpsed in current commercials, the one with the old orange 2002 with kids jogging behind it and the driver asks the passenger, “How is the battery?”, and then fast-forwards to the Hydrogen-powered BMW, where the driver asks, “Hey BMW…..”
Long-time BMW fans I know are partial to the 1972-on kidneys of the 316, 318, 320. That was an attractive car, more so than the 5-series, 6-series or 7-series of those same years that seemed bloated by comparison.
The kidney was never attractive. Not on BMW, not on Pontiac.
I will give BMW the benefit of doubt and assume that the kidneys were enlarged to allow for enormous amounts of airflow to feed the 3000 bhp turbo 8 liter V16 lurking under that hood.
Or the jet engine out of a Mig 15.
I will give BMW the benefit of the doubt and assume the large nut sack grille is made for easy removal, so that the dealership mechanics can change failed mechanical components without removing the entire engine from the car.
Wow, I had to look that one up, I didn’t even know that there was a 1960 Edsel. It wasn’t the tail lights of an Edsel that I first thought of, though. Lets start calling the new BMW grilles “double-Edsels” and see if it catches on.
Someone needs to Photoshop a ’58 Edsel to have two side-by-side toilet seat grilles. Will look alot like this BMW.
Haha! I’d say it was the new Edsel but I know Ford has abandoned cars, so it must indeed be a BMW.
Harkening back to the 328 from the 1930s?
They’ll have to be autonomous vehicles, since only blind people will buy them.
The Bavarian Edsel (credit to cicero1 and Matt Foley) is definitive proof that BMW has ‘jumped the shark’.
I am seriously considering removing BMW from my Instagram feed.
My TSX beak looks rather nice comparatively.
I think BMW may be in for a nasty surprise: truly ugly does not sell, no matter the badge. Especially for a brand / model that is no longer at its pinnacle. See: Prius.
Gah! BMW is trying to outdo Lexus.
No, BMW is trying to outdo Mercedes: twin grilles!
Ever see the movie “Pink Floyd’s The Wall”? There’s one of the animated parts with the British judge…that’s all I can see when I look at the current BMW grilles.
Google it!
Kidneys enlarged due to too much hefeweizen drunk by bored designers.
Barfalicious Motor Works.
It’s like they took two Audi grilles, turned them 90 degrees, and stuck them on the front of the car.
But inquiring minds need to know: how much will it cost to get this snout outfitted with a full LED kit from the factory? BMW can’t let those light-up Mercedes stars go unanswered forever.
The Bangle-Butt was controversial in its time – but in light of this monstrous grille, that design element was remarkably restrained.
Forgot to add that on the plus side, the color of the car in the picture combined with the black grilles remind me of a WWII Stuka, combined somehow with a Messerschmitt ME 109. It looks meaner, which maybe will sell cars to all of those badge lovers out there.
Any little bit of desire I had to buy a BMW is gone. It was the 1958 Edsel that had that grill by 1959 it was toned down and the final year 1960 the Edsel basically was the same as the 1960 Ford Galaxy. I take back any jokes or criticism that I have made in the past about Edsels, Azteks, the new Silverados, Lexus grills, Acura’s beak, and some other ugly cars. BMW managed to break the mirror ugly with this grill.
Not a good look at all. It will look even worse when a license plate is slapped in the middle.
Ugh, haven’t thought of that before.
That’s pretty awful. Bold design move I suppose that people will get used to but maybe a design that actually turns people off from the brand who want a good looking car. Most though are probably happy just having the badge.
Like everything else thats “in” now, you take the worst styling trends from whenever and then magnify it by 1000 and BAM, instant garbage that equals success with the drones. OMG look how big it is! I dont even have to zoom in on my smartphone I can stand a block away and STILL see it! BASED
My reaction? MonkaS.
With such a porcine front end, that Bimmer looks like it’ll be better suited for rooting out truffles in the woods than carving corners.
It’ll sell like hotcakes in The China, especially in Long Wheelbase guise. I saw a new Audi RS5 the other day that looked, from every angle, like molten sex on wheels. It won’t sell well in The China. IIWII.
You can either design a good-looking car, or a car for the Chinese market, you can’t do both.
True if the Chinese are the targeted market for BMWs. Next BMW will make their vehicles in China and export them to Germany, the USA, and the rest of the World. Most people who buy a BMW for the prestige will not care where its made, what it looks like, or even about the quality as long as it has the BMW badge.
Get used to it, because this look will form the basis of the upcoming 5- and 7-series replacements. It’s all part of their new Biginal design language.
If in the future you find me ahead of you in the left lane, I am not intentionally blocking your pass – I am taken by the exceptional beauty of your new grille.