An abundance of fragrant pollen in your author’s neighborhood has led to increasing sinus distress over the past few days, but he wouldn’t trade places with the upcoming BMW M4 for a second. No, sir. Not with those flared nostrils.
Leaked to the internet via the g20.bimmerpost forum, the muscled-up sibling to the 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe unveiled this week takes that car’s already controversial front-end treatment to new extremes, confirming what we already expected.
Spy photos of both the camouflaged vehicle and individual pieces of bodywork suggested this M4 would prove polarizing; the automaker’s equally expressive Concept 4 foreshadowed everything last year. BMW followed it up with the Concept i4, a four-door electric that paves the way for the real thing. Both concepts made it clear that the brand’s signature kidney grille would end up stretched like warm taffy once the new 4 Series made it to production.
While the stock 4 Series coupe, available in four-cylinder 430i and six-cylinder mild-hybrid M440i guise, is certainly distinctive, comments tossed around the TTAC chatroom came out tepidly in Bimmer’s corner. It’ll get the thing noticed, and it isn’t as ugly as feared. High praise?
This M4, however, takes things further. Unlike the vaguely octagonal openings seen on the Concept 4 and the stock 4 Series coupe, the vehicle seen in this (lightened for viewer enjoyment) photo omits any air opening south of the slender slits, stretching grille acreage as close to the pavement as any designer would deem feasible. They’re somewhat reminiscent of the air intakes of various Cold War era jet fighters.
Indents in the hood only serve to enhance the impact of this new design direction, and the same goes for narrow headlamps underlined by LED running lamp mascara. BMW’s not shying away from anything here. It’s not worried about turning off longtime fans; it wants to get noticed, and to attract those who want to be seen. Elsewhere in the vicinity of this rhinoplasty procedure are two lower air openings flanked by narrow, vertical slits that would seem to allow the passage of air through the fender, reducing front wheel well turbulence and aiding the car’s aero mission.
Overall, whatever elegance the car’s enlarged proportions allows, the front end erases. A snarling animal, or a sightless fish seeking out edibles on the ocean floor? Where your mind goes upon gazing at this car is anyone’s guess.
Sadly, the leaker’s camera couldn’t see through all of that bodywork to the heart that beats inside. The previous M4 offered up a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six making 425 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. There’s no chance of the model returning to the scene without extra power in tow. Rear- or all-wheel- drive is a go, according to recent comments by two Bimmer executives associated with the 4 Series line. Expect an eight-speed automatic, too, though the automaker has said a manual will be available.
Whether that stick shift makes its way to North America is an unanswered question.
[Image: g20.bimmerpost.com]
Stylization isn’t bad. See Mazda and Kodo, which I think looks rad. This thing is hideous, tho. Good grief.
Just. The. Worst.
Heading out to the garage to cleanse palate, cast gaze with relieved, soothing appreciation over our ’03 540i M-Sport.
There, that’s better.
ust. The. Worst.
Heading out to theJ garage to cleanse palate, cast gaze with relieved, soothing appreciation over our ’03 540i M-Sport.
There, that’s better.
Pig (snout) faced comes to mind.
Internet commenters always hate. They hated the Mazda Nagare, they hated Acura beak, they hated Lexus spindle. They just hate everything that’s new. And when something is old, they hate it too, because it’s stale and obsolete.
I hated the Acura beak because it was ugly. I hated the Lexus grill because it was ugly (and looked like a Budweiser beer bow tie) and I hate this new BMW front end because it is uglier than both of those two.
New? In 1958 Ford tried a similar front end and called it the Edsel. Why don’t we just call this the double Edsel?
I really can’t tell you what people thought the Edsel grille looked like, it would be rude to the ladies
Why would saying that it looked like a park bathroom toilet seat be rude to them ladies? Everybody poops; there’s even a book about it.
Some people thought it was “thrilling”
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/EfEJmnoTkGl0pa0hBIucDy3_g4I68e7czCl2NmCm8eSutYFk271vuapuAULJekCeOzXITcGv92YbHiJUUoHxb7eHEgTC5qRjSm4uOEiY1CK573zSaocAxaVu9uOAM8Hegw
Comments about the exterior of the next-gen TLX were pretty positive.
Lexus envy by BMW.
Whatever one thinks about Lexus’ Predator grills,they seem to have started a run on massive grills by other manufacturers.
No, the massive grille started with mid 2000’s Audi’s. Someone thought it was a good idea back then…
“With the new car, should we use the beloved, instantly recognizable style element that has graced our cars for decades?”
“Nah let’s just copy Audi/Lexus.”
I want to boop its snoot, such a good, good boy!
Seriously though, that’s simply awful.
Funny thing is, that drab prison-gray paint (how did this “color” ever become so popular anyway?) actually makes the snout look less terrible than it likely would otherwise (imagine it contrasted with white or red for example).
Was going to post the same thing. It would be even more hideous in white.
+1
Makes me long for the (vastly less offensive) Acura ‘beak’.
And Gray is NOT A COLOR. It is the LACK of color. This ‘fad’ needs to DIE!
I would like to hear from the head of BMW design. I just want to understand their thinking. I mean the Bangle butt wasn’t that bad, but this baby really stands out.
BMW’s design chief has given interviews on the new 4. You can find by Googling his name: Domagoj Dukec.
He is very bullish on it and says it’s a “brand shaper.” They are all-in on the nostrils.
Lots of buzz words, and he got close by saying, some will like it and some won’t, but at least you remember it. But really, all that matters is if they sell cars.
They were thinking it has been a LONG time since anyone bought a BMW for what it is instead of what it represents. This lets the sort of person who still buys them be seen driving a BMW from outer space.
Styling aside do these two nose-holes actually let air in? Its almost looks like the bumper’s crash bar blocks 20-30% of it. Like the Acura beak maybe painting it a different color would help.
I think its going to look even worse with a front license plate. The Euro plate likely covers up the crash bar section nearly perfectly and might improve things.
Is like they saw the front grille photoshopping “The Straight Pipes” did on their YouTube reviews and didn’t realize it was a joke.
The 4 series has been a big flop. 2019 sales down 40+% in the USA. Can’t imagine a relatively large 2 door gaining traction in any other country. It’s a niche vehicle aimed at a niche group. It needs to scream “look at me” to sell at all.
omg that’s ugly, is there anything worse? I don’t think so. It makes an Edsel look like a new winning design.
The designer of this was forced to leave the Company? If it hasn’t happened yet, it will be soon, especially when the lack of sales numbers appears.
It doubles Edsel grill. I hate. I hate it. But it is the best Edsel ever.
I mean the ultimate driving Edsel.
Wait…..what….the BMW M4 leaks? And you smell where you sit?
Like, seriously, what were they thinking?
I would love to talk to a person who thinks it looks good. I love talking to crazy people.
Ask Florian Nissl. He can help.
It has nostrilitis, like an automotive Henry Waxman
BMW isn’t stupid, it knows it’s ugly,
but w/ gov regs mandating the blunt front and wind resistance the rest of the body, cars are looking more and more alike
BMW knows its buyers want people to know what they are driving is a BMW and this will more than do it
I’m so old I remember that it was the 2008 Audis that first came out with the giant grill. Just because Lexus uglified the giant grill first in their 2012 models doesn’t mean they invented them.
That being said, it seems there’s a rule that the concept car has to be better looking than the production model. Maybe Corey can ask the B&B if they think there was ever a time when the reverse was true.
I will give BMW this, they have changed anthropmorphisms. I’ve seen kidneys, I know kidneys, kidneys are friends of mine, and BMW, those are not kidneys.
“…those are not kidneys.”
Perhaps they’re flat butt-cheeks on a copier.
Remembering the 2008 Audis does not make you old, remembering the Edsels when they came out somewhat does. I was around back then, but only a couple years old at the time. In any case, the Audis came out with a large grille earlier than 2008. I have an ’08 A5, and by then they had the look toned down a bit and refined. Now I agree that the new M4’s front end is hideous, but you know, if you cover the center stripe when you look at the photo, it is not all that bad, and does in fact resemble the ’08 Audi. I suspect that in a few years we will all get used to it.
2005/6 A6 had the giant grill.
Well I suppose this is one way to make the Chris Bangle era BMWs look better.
Amusing to scroll through the reactions on Bimmerpost. My fave: “I’m just gonna keep drinking until it looks good”.
I’m generally a fan of cars with large grilles and aggressive angular styling, so this thing must be truly hideous as it triggers in me an urge to vomit. Now I understand how people who hate the recent Lexus design language feel.
The M4 with the blacked out grill looks okay!
UGLY. Stop the grills eating everything in front of them. Old kidney grill was perfect.
BMW=Bucktooth Motor Works
Gads, whatever happened to restrained athleticism? Makes me long for any of my previous Bimmers (1974 2002, 1985 318i, 1993 325is). These new ones are an abomination. And here I was thinking of buying one at the end of my assignment here in Germany. Now…not so much.