[jkap27]

Originally Posted by nathanm4

It's obvious to a lot of people that BMW design team did a great job.

To be honest, if G8x M3 and M4 had the same old small kidney grilles, I wouldn't buy any of them! Small kidney grilles are so in the past. I already got bored of them and don't even wanna look at them also because they always remind me of early 2000s and 2010s. I like to look forward and enjoy what's new.

I got a brand new 6MT G82 M4 3 days ago. I get a lot of complements from strangers who don't even know what M4 is.

Kudos to BMW design team

This could definitely be true but remember those people giving you complements are just looking at a car too they don't have to own it...and they were never planning on buying an m3 so they didn't have any expectations of how it would look/perform before they saw it. So just because we like it and strangers do doesn't mean they're not gonna lose buyers and it doesn't make members here who aren't interested in it's opinions any less valid. How it furthers the brand image overall is really the important measure and thats hard to quantify in the short term.

[Bahamut]

Originally Posted by jkap27

This could definitely be true but remember those people giving you complements are just looking at a car too they don't have to own it...and they were never planning on buying an m3 so they didn't have any expectations of how it would look/perform before they saw it. So just because we like it and strangers do doesn't mean they're not gonna lose buyers and it doesn't make members here who aren't interested in it's opinions any less valid. How it furthers the brand image overall is really the important measure and thats hard to quantify in the short term.

Agreed. Either way, this car is a conversation-starter no matter where you go, whether it's with car enthusiasts or passer-bys

[buckybadger]

I believe the reason for making the grill large is for 3 main reasons, that 3rd one being not so obvious:

1. Brand identity to make the car stand out, BMWs had bigger grills in the past
2. Improve performance by increasing air flow
3. Use it as a place to integrate more sensors for AI and autonomous driving and for other future technologies

[PVC]

Originally Posted by buckybadger

I believe the reason for making the grill large is for 3 main reasons, that 3rd one being not so obvious:

1. Brand identity to make the car stand out, BMWs had bigger grills in the past
2. Improve performance by increasing air flow
3. Use it as a place to integrate more sensors for AI and autonomous driving and for other future technologies

Teslas don't have any grill at all, and they are the closest thing to full autonomous driving. What makes you say they need that huge grill for sensors?

[OSee]

Originally Posted by PVC

Teslas don't have any grill at all, and they are the closest thing to full autonomous driving. What makes you say they need that huge grill for sensors?

Tesla doesn't have a graphic as valuable as the kidney's. Traditionally implemented in grills.

[buckybadger]

Originally Posted by PVC

Teslas don't have any grill at all, and they are the closest thing to full autonomous driving. What makes you say they need that huge grill for sensors?

Cuz it's a BMW and they may have other plans which we don't know.

[robopp]

The front is still so confusing. I see an F80 next to the G80 and I think the F80 looks old and outdated, but then look at the G80 and I think the beaver grill looks awkward. Very confusing.

I think the LCI is going to be perfect. They swung a little too far on the G80 grill and they'll pull it back a little and it will be perfect. Everything about the G80 is better than the F80, except (maybe) the grill.

[OSee]

Originally Posted by robopp

The front is still so confusing. I see an F80 next to the G80 and I think the F80 looks old and outdated, but then look at the G80 and I think the beaver grill looks awkward. Very confusing.

I think the LCI is going to be perfect. They swung a little too far on the G80 grill and they'll pull it back a little and it will be perfect. Everything about the G80 is better than the F80, except (maybe) the grill.

With the exception of the e65 and its bangle butt fixing trunk lid light add ons. When has BMW ever made such a dramatic shift on LCI?

It would require revamping the entire 4 series lineup. Not going to happen.

Just look at what the designers and design director had to say about it. They are OK it not being for everyone and 20% is OK. Look at what the product manager Robert Pilsl has had to say about it. Essentially....if you don’t like it they don’t care.

[robopp]

Originally Posted by OSee

With the exception of the e65 and its bangle butt fixing trunk lid light add ons. When has BMW ever made such a dramatic shift on LCI?

It would require revamping the entire 4 series lineup. Not going to happen.

Just look at what the designers and design director had to say about it. They are OK it not being for everyone and 20% is OK. Look at what the product manager Robert Pilsl has had to say about it. Essentially....if you don’t like it they don’t care.

They're a business and money talks. If the sales numbers are way off target, they'll make as drastic of a change as necessary. Look at Acura and that parrot fish grill they released then quickly refreshed because no one was buying it.

With all of this said, I don't think it will take a drastic change because I really like it, just that something is off.

[PVC]

Originally Posted by robopp

They're a business and money talks. If the sales numbers are way off target, they'll make as drastic of a change as necessary. Look at Acura and that parrot fish grill they released then quickly refreshed because no one was buying it.

With all of this said, I don't think it will take a drastic change because I really like it, just that something is off.

A lot of people talk crap about that grill (like myself), but at the end, I think most of us will end up buying it anyway. It's a bit sad since this will likely be the last gas powered M3.

[snareman]

Originally Posted by buckybadger

I believe the reason for making the grill large is for 3 main reasons, that 3rd one being not so obvious:

1. Brand identity to make the car stand out, BMWs had bigger grills in the past
2. Improve performance by increasing air flow
3. Use it as a place to integrate more sensors for AI and autonomous driving and for other future technologies

And BMW is one of the last of the higher end car makers that didn't yet have oversized grilles. I appreciated that fact about them but they have now unfortunately caved to the trend.

[Ropes]

The fact that I can get a G80 during launch year with specials being tossed in should say that the design team did a poor job. I lost out on two prior M cars that were sold prior to coming to port because in the time to talk to the wife and get the green they were no longer available.

[mr2t]

Originally Posted by Ropes

The fact that I can get a G80 during launch year with specials being tossed in should say that the design team did a poor job. I lost out on two prior M cars that were sold prior to coming to port because in the time to talk to the wife and get the green they were no longer available.

IMO inventory isn't moving very fast. I've been checking local dealers so I can see different colors in person and most of the same cars are still there. The M3 I test drove a month ago is still for sale and they still want to know if I want an allocation.

[OSee]

Originally Posted by mr2t

IMO inventory isn't moving very fast. I've been checking local dealers so I can see different colors in person and most of the same cars are still there. The M3 I test drove a month ago is still for sale and they still want to know if I want an allocation.

In SoCal most of the cars in dealership inventories are claimed. Allocations are going for MSRP or more and AWD allocations waiting lists are a mile long.

M cars just move faster in some markets.

[OSee]

Originally Posted by Ropes

The fact that I can get a G80 during launch year with specials being tossed in should say that the design team did a poor job.

This is hilarious revisionist history. Romanticizing a time that's pretty much never existed in the history of //M cars.

Find the 2015 F8X Pricing thread. By the time they were shipping there were 5%-7% discounts a plenty.

The 1M and the M2 are the only M cars in recent memory that commanded MSRP (or a premium) a month or two after their official release.

These aren't GT3 RS's we're talking about. Also, if you know dealerships in Southern California that have discounted M3/
M4s (not brokers working with MidWest dealerships) please share with the rest of the community.

[WWM3]

Originally Posted by OSee

With the exception of the e65 and its bangle butt fixing trunk lid light add ons. When has BMW ever made such a dramatic shift on LCI?

It would require revamping the entire 4 series lineup. Not going to happen.

Just look at what the designers and design director had to say about it. They are OK it not being for everyone and 20% is OK. Look at what the product manager Robert Pilsl has had to say about it. Essentially....if you don’t like it they don’t care.

You could argue that the E90 LCI would be an example of a dramatic shift. The revision included a new front bumper, hood, and trunk. Those are the sorts of changes that the kidney detractors would be looking for. On the other hand, the styling stayed pretty consistent.

[tszene]

To reflect on a previous comment, Let's keep in mind that the M brand was never Bmw's mainstream effort. So based on the design of the g80 I wouldn't short the stock as it doesn't represent a significant part of overall Bmw sales. It represented a niche production to appeal to the car enthusiasts, and it helped to solidify the brand as the "ultimate driving machine" back in the day.

"Motorsport" stood for something that was special. It was genuinely different and people loved the m cars for that very reason. It was not watered down as it is today. Today Bmw is slapping M badges everywhere on the top models in every series from a 340i to an X3. That's marketing chasing sales by cheapening the "M" brand.

And I know... here is the old fart with the good old days story. But the reality is that this loyal following kept buying the M3's year after year and jumped from a e36 into the E46, then the E92 and so on. And we bought our wife's the x5, and we were brand ambassadors at every BBQ and every track day alike.

The people that bought the m cars are a small audience that was loyal to the "M" brand for a reason. You got a fantastic car that was a pleasure to look at, it drove fantastic and it was great value. And as someone who has been driving m3's since e36 times and had every model since, I can tell you: I'm bmw's target audience for the g80.
I'm 40, I love the brand, we have history, I have disposable income, and I love cars. But I will not buy it.
I will buy out my f82. Why? Because the g80 is fucking ugly. And I'm not trying to offend the people that bought their car. I'm happy for you. I hope you enjoy your new ride. But I challenge anyone who saw one to tell me that the g80 is beautiful. There won't be many.

I'll never forget my dealer telling me: "It will grow on you". Well...the E46 didn't need to grown on me, neither did the f82. As a matter of fact I think the f82 was the easiest in the eyes.

But if my new car needs time to grown on me, you know we missed the mark. I think many will buy because there are few if any better options not because they want this car. And that's a sad day for this brand.

I'm dying to see sales figures in comparison to the f82, but remember they have a perfect scapegoat. The pandemic.

[OSee]

Originally Posted by tszene

I'm dying to see sales figures in comparison to the f82, but remember they have a perfect scapegoat. The pandemic.

Aw yes, the pandemic. Which according to the grill haters is simultaneously responsible for the record breaking Q1 sales largely driven by the m440i..AND will also be the scapegoat for this imaginary sales slump driven by the G80/G82.

Maybe buy yourself a 4 banger C63?

[tszene]

Originally Posted by OSee

Aw yes, the pandemic. Which according to the grill haters is simultaneously responsible for the record breaking Q1 sales largely driven by the m440i..AND will also be the scapegoat for this imaginary sales slump driven by the G80/G82.

Maybe buy yourself a 4 banger C63?

I believe you missed the point completely. I'm referring to the sales of the actual "M" cars, not the PG version 440i m. And again, in case you were distracted by a shiny object, it was about the way it looks.

What I'm also saying is that the brand no longer stands for what is used to. It used to hit the sweet spot of being powerful, manual, pretty and was value. The manual piece is still true, its not more powerful weight/Hp than the f82, it's 8k more so it's not the cheapest car available. But all that I could get past. What I can't, is that it's butt ugly. That's all.

Look, we old farts understand that the next generation finally had their balls drop, got their Licence and want to play hard. And me and the rest of the Bmw community are all excited for you!
What my message was about was the pedigree of the letter "M" and what it used to mean compared to what it means now. Don't take it personally, just because you joined the party when all the pretty and smart girls already left. You will still get lucky, but the rest of have higher standards. That's all. Enjoy your g80.

And rather than continuing this rebuttal of silliness, I just want you to tell me that this car is beautiful. And if you can tell me that honestly, that you think this car is the pinnacle of Bmw design, I rest my case as the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
So is it?

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by OSee

In SoCal most of the cars in dealership inventories are claimed. Allocations are going for MSRP or more and AWD allocations waiting lists are a mile long.

M cars just move faster in some markets.

Yep! Cars are selling like hot cakes here in SoCal.

[OSee]

Originally Posted by tszene

Look, we old farts understand that the next generation finally had their balls drop, got their Licence and want to play hard. And me and the rest of the Bmw community are all excited for you!

What are you even talking about?

I'm a 40 year old Director at a Fortune 200 SAAS company. I have discerning tastes. This will be my 3rd //M, 5th BMW when you count the 2 for wifey and I've had the pleasure of owning 4 AMG 55/63 before it. I dont want this to turn into a manhood measuring contest but you seem to be under the impression that anyone who buys this car is not a 'true' BMW fan or is some kid graduating up from a Honda Civic. Plenty of guys on here on their umpteenth //M car buying the G8X. Hell, someone traded a F90 LCI for it and looks pretty happy.

Is it the pinnacle of exterior design? No. But neither was the hindside of my last BMW, the M2.

Stop gatekeeping.

[OSee]

Originally Posted by tszene

Don't take it personally, just because you joined the party when all the pretty and smart girls already left. You will still get lucky, but the rest of have higher standards. That's all. Enjoy your g80.

Is this real life?