[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Fhey

I love how there's literally no pleasing people...

First they complain that the M models look too similar to their regular series counterpart and that people can't differentiate between them by just looking at them.

And now BMW gives them exactly what they wanted, yet this time people are complaining that the M models look too different from the regular series cars? Like, what the actual fuck, guys?

+1

[duky]

Originally Posted by Fhey

I love how there's literally no pleasing people...

First they complain that the M models look too similar to their regular series counterpart and that people can't differentiate between them by just looking at them.

And now BMW gives them exactly what they wanted, yet this time people are complaining that the M models look too different from the regular series cars? Like, what the actual fuck, guys?

It's mind boggling!

[scott13]

Originally Posted by Hegge

The engine in the car should be what differs the M model, not a disgusting grille.

Right? Imagine an admittedly fantasy world where the G8x looked a lot like a gently updated F8x design, but BMW managed to cram in a de-tuned M5 engine and deliver an exhaust note that didn't sound like a lawnmower.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by scott13

Right? Imagine an admittedly fantasy world where the G8x looked a lot like a gently updated F8x design, but BMW managed to cram in a de-tuned M5 engine and deliver an exhaust note that didn't sound like a lawnmower.

Sounds boring honestly.

[elitex]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Sounds boring honestly.

lol exactly. People will be complaining how it’s too similar. How Bmw doesn’t innovate, blah blah blah....

[Fhey]

Originally Posted by scott13

Right? Imagine an admittedly fantasy world where the G8x looked a lot like a gently updated F8x design, but BMW managed to cram in a de-tuned M5 engine and deliver an exhaust note that didn't sound like a lawnmower.

That’s even worse than looking similar to the regular series cars. It’d look similar to the previous regular series car!

[scott13]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Sounds boring honestly.

Yeah, I get it. And I actually agree to some degree. You want to see them do something more ambitious than LCI level changes, but they're cramming a lot of change into this platform (e.g., digital gauges, switchable AWD, no more DCT(?), 6MT only on the "pure" version, etc.) and topping it off with a radical redesign of an arguably iconic feature. At the risk of sounding like an old man telling the kids to get off the lawn...I just wish they went for more of a modest update.

[Imola3]

Originally Posted by Fhey

I love how there's literally no pleasing people...

First they complain that the M models look too similar to their regular series counterpart and that people can't differentiate between them by just looking at them.

And now BMW gives them exactly what they wanted, yet this time people are complaining that the M models look too different from the regular series cars? Like, what the actual fuck, guys?

The problem with these statements (not saying I disagree) is that "they" is always a different subset of people.

Depending on who shouts the loudest is who happens to be "they" when an issue comes around.

Big grille = Anti-big grille crowd bitching the most

M3/4 looks similar to base car = M differentiation crowd bitching the most

It'll never end, the best thing to do is to ignore it.

[Hegge]

Originally Posted by scott13

Right? Imagine an admittedly fantasy world where the G8x looked a lot like a gently updated F8x design, but BMW managed to cram in a de-tuned M5 engine and deliver an exhaust note that didn't sound like a lawnmower.

Agreed with this. The M5 engine in a M3 or even M2 would be fantastic. 911's don't look that much different from generation to generation as the M3 should follow suit.

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by Hegge

Agreed with this. The M5 engine in a M3 or even M2 would be fantastic. 911's don't look that much different from generation to generation as the M3 should follow suit.

While the M5 engine has a lot of power, I feel like it doesn't have enough character for an M3/4.

[Clemenza]

G80 M3 Video Testing on N'Ring

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Clemenza

G80 M3 Video Testing on N'Ring

Those fenders look good and the car looks so damn quick.

[solstice]

Originally Posted by Clemenza

G80 M3 Video Testing on N'Ring

The width of the track on these cars...if euro delivery wasn’t cancelled I might have avoided the under ground hotel parking in the historic centers of Italy with these, it was already character building with the F80 .

Looks wise the G80 as the G20 is way too much like the current generation for my liking though. More of an LCI than a brand new generation. Luckily it has the grill to set it apart

Nevertheless nice to see it dancing athletically around the ring looking fully at home unaware or bothered by it’s size.

[Blip Bavarian]

It's polarizing how much faster and more planted the AWD versions appear in the videos. Shame they aren't making a manual AWD version.

[JustChris]

Got to love tracking the defender

[nublu2u]

Originally Posted by Fhey

I love how there's literally no pleasing people...

First they complain that the M models look too similar to their regular series counterpart and that people can't differentiate between them by just looking at them.

And now BMW gives them exactly what they wanted, yet this time people are complaining that the M models look too different from the regular series cars? Like, what the actual fuck, guys?

If this is a reference to the big grille then I doubt many people asked for that particular design. And with every 4 series (and indeed i4) carrying the big grille how exactly does that differentiate the M4?

[Fhey]

Originally Posted by nublu2u

If this is a reference to the big grille then I doubt many people asked for that particular design. And with every 4 series (and indeed i4) carrying the big grille how exactly does that differentiate the M4?

Well, the grille is completely different for one.

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by nublu2u

If this is a reference to the big grille then I doubt many people asked for that particular design. And with every 4 series (and indeed i4) carrying the big grille how exactly does that differentiate the M4?

Agree, they claim they wanted the big grill to differentiate the 4, yet the M3 and i4 will share the front end despite being different models??? BMW's reasoning makes no sense, its the whole two doors will be even series numbers and four doors will be odd series numbers situation all over again. They say one thing, then immediately go back on their comments.

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by Fhey

Well, the grille is completely different for one.

The general public can't tell the difference between the 320i and an M3, so with the M4 and regular 4-series I imagine this tradition will continue, only this time they may feel a little sick after looking.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by jstein55

Agree, they claim they wanted the big grill to differentiate the 4, yet the M3 and i4 will share the front end despite being different models??? BMW's reasoning makes no sense, its the whole two doors will be even series numbers and four doors will be odd series numbers situation all over again. They say one thing, then immediately go back on their comments.

The 4, M3/M4 and i4 all have larger grilles, but they are different. Anybody that can't immediately see the distinction is just blind.

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

The 4, M3/M4 and i4 all have larger grilles, but they are different. Anybody that can't immediately see the distinction is just blind.

So the majority of BMW owners and customers then, because the enthusiasts who can notice small differences make up a small minority of sales these days. Most people can't tell the difference between an M3 and a 320i, you think they'll be able to tell the little differences between two large grills that share similar designs.

The point is, if you are trying to get one vehicle to stand out more than the others with the excuse that all BMW's shouldn't look the same, why share that design with two other vehicles? It literally goes against the point they were trying to make, just like the 2-doors being even series and 4-doors being odd series.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by jstein55

The point is, if you are trying to get one vehicle to stand out more than the others with the excuse that all BMW's shouldn't look the same, why share that design with two other vehicles?

But to offer a counterpoint, the fact is that the front end of the M3 and M4 are more differentiated from their Series siblings than has been the case in the past. We can subjectively disagree with the means, but the objective has been met.

BMW designers never claimed the the differences would involve specific variations in size or shape of one grills vs. another. Sure, BMW could have used wider grills on the M4 to contrast it with the 4 Series. But they didn't because they didn't need to in order to meet their goals.

It literally goes against the point they were trying to make, just like the 2-doors being even series and 4-doors being odd series.

Again, the claim wasn't that there would never be even numbered Series vehicles with more than two doors. The idea was to distinguish the sedans from the more sporty siblings by diverging their styling and branding, and that was achieved. Separately, BMW didn't create the four-door coupe concept, but they felt it was good business to create products to match those from competitors that were seeing growth in the market.

There is a significant amount of emotion spent impeaching BMW on the basis of expectations created by taking abstract concepts and cementing them in our minds based on our personal sense of what is right and what is wrong for the company. This makes for great stress relief and venting, but its not particularly convincing as means to judge the company's overall business acumen. I would suggest there are far more worrying decisions coming from BMW than grills and number of doors on a certain vehicle.

Not that we cannot indulge our desires and criticize smaller details such as these, I just feel like it has largely been over-dramatized. In a few years time, these little issues will be forgotten. What are the larger issues I refer to? Way too many non-SUVs - need to axe at least half of those starting with coupes/convertibles (where will that leave the 4 Series and M4 in a generation's time?), still no dedicated electric platform, and why are we talking about subscriptions to access equipment that will soon be standard on competing vehicles? Just to name a few. But let's not digress to those discussions here - let's use the other areas of Bimmerpost to complain about all of that.