Totally in! 100%. Flying car? Been dreaming of that for about 50 years…
Neue Klasse...
- Thread starter JeffKeryk
- Start date
Leaders don't follow. Go big or go home!
I expect it to presage the production cars in the same way that the Vision iNEXT did for the iX.
In other words, the overall design themes and shapes have been revealed, but the details and practical changes necessary for a serially-produced product will be made. Somewhere in between a pie-in-the-sky concept, and a thinly-veiled production-ready concept.
To me, it harkens back to the upright three-box designs prior to the late 80s BMWs, and that's not a bad thing, considering the recent history of BMW designs.
I saw a G60 5er for the first time recently, and the thing that struck me about it is that it only vaguely resembles a BMW, only in profile and only in a melted candy bar sort of way. Take away the exaggerated kidneys in the front, and the badge in the rear, and it could be anything. As well as growing larger again, at least perceptually; I haven't compared the dimensions.
I'll take this over that school of current BMW design. Or the bars of soap Merc EQs, or the increasingly stale Teslas, which owe their themes to the Henrik Fisker designs of the early 2000s (the true story of that fractious split is something I wish will be told at some point; sure money a clash of egos was central to it).
"Neue Klasse" likely wasn't chosen only due to its literal meaning, but for its significance in BMW history.
In the late 50s, with BMW struggling, nearing bankruptcy, and a takeover target for Daimler, Herbert Quandt acquired control of the company, and the Neue Klasse cars of the 60s is what saved it. Those cars were markedly different from the staid 501 Baroque Angels and bubble car Isettas of the postwar era.
This NK is positioned to assume a similar role, in ushering in a new era of true BEVs that aren't connected to the past, like the current i models are, as popular as something like the i4 has been.
I don't like the greenhouse effect, my first thought was how much is it going to cost to repair any body damage from even a minor collision.
I certainly can agree but I think that goes for many vehicles now, especially any EV. Any dent to the battery pack and game over.
With that said, the BMW is a status symbol and I think the last thing someone buying this car will care about is what will it cost to repair which if they carry auto insurance, the insurance company pays.
Not to lose sight of the fact many wealthy dont need to bother paying insurance, that is for us little people. (or the company they own)
When LED taillights and the thin LED headlights first started appearing on cars, their presence made many vehicles look "futuristic". And they weren't unattractive. Great leaps forward in styling like the 1934 Chrysler Airflow were not successes as people weren't quite ready for them yet.
But sometimes manufacturers try too hard. The BMW 633CSI and later 635CSI were gorgeous and had a much more "advanced" and evolving look than the boxy 318 for example. The overly large kidney grills we have seen lately are an abomination and have made BMW a laughing stock. They need to produce a car in the spirit of the 633CSI that is attractive, looks like it is going fast when standing still and looks like an evolved design. Not a guess at what cars should look like in the future.
But sometimes manufacturers try too hard. The BMW 633CSI and later 635CSI were gorgeous and had a much more "advanced" and evolving look than the boxy 318 for example. The overly large kidney grills we have seen lately are an abomination and have made BMW a laughing stock. They need to produce a car in the spirit of the 633CSI that is attractive, looks like it is going fast when standing still and looks like an evolved design. Not a guess at what cars should look like in the future.
It is amazing what it costs to repair a modern vehicle, especially for advanced headlights. Total bill on the GTI is going to be around $8k with $2,300 of that just being the headlights. It was all cosmetic aside from the washer fluid container being cracked and spraying on the radiator, which ended up being where the steam was coming from. If the car was a couple years older it would have totaled for sure. The only reason why it didn't end up as catastrophic as it would have been with the Tesla is that the regular panels were reasonably priced. I even told the body guy that I was glad it happened in the GTI and not the Tesla. He'll have parts on Tuesday. I'm not confident that would be the same with the Tesla for a parts wait. He hasn't worked on a Tesla, but it's a small town and I would assume that would make it not likely for him to see one.
Any of these new models are always a disaster if you get in an accident in early production, but that should alleviate with time.
You mean like this?
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Bmw where we release a concept which is actually the LCI for the upcoming next generation,
That is unfortunate.
I just wish auto makers and customers didn't need to be so "awed + entertained" with their vehicles.
'Budget buyers' needing to be titillated helps the manufacturer and hurts the consumer.
Excitement primes the pump ($), I know. but didn't VW entice buyers with continuing improvements over design morphing?
Anyone remember how 'design static' and affordable pick-ups used to be?
'Budget buyers' needing to be titillated helps the manufacturer and hurts the consumer.
Excitement primes the pump ($), I know. but didn't VW entice buyers with continuing improvements over design morphing?
Anyone remember how 'design static' and affordable pick-ups used to be?
I mean I want excitement in a vehicle, but I'm one of those weirdo car enthusiasts. I'm sure I'm a small part of the market. The razzle dazzle tech that they're all touting isn't for me though.
agreed, lets start with making a good car again, then lets worry about how it looks.
Dent/scratch under 1 cm can cost over 60k €.
I and a lot of people would buy a used BMW just to let the original owner eat the sometimes massive depreciation. I found my stepdaughter a 2015 BMW X1 2.0T with 68K from a good home, a woman college professor from Wellesley in her 50's, her husband is driving a Arteon and the student son is driving a BMW 6 series all in mint condition. She just wanted a new car so she sold this one, all BMW dealer records for maintenance, recent tires and brakes all from the dealer. No accidents or damage ever.
This car has every option offered on that car, dark silver with black leather interior, the premium wheels, it was detailed every 6mo. She got it for 9K. It really is a stunning car in like new condition, champagne for beer money. If she didn't buy it, the car would be in my driveway no matter how much my wife screams.
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