A BMW badged Corolla

[Dixie]

I was walking my dog this evening and noticed my neighbors bought a new Corolla. Just as I was walking past, an "M' in the grill caught my eye. I giggled. Some fool had put an 'M' badge on their Toyota. Then it hit me. That Toyota is a BMW! Later, I Googled it, and think it's a Two series. I'm totally unsure if it's an M2, or some M styling thing. I just know it sports an 'M', and looks almost exactly like a Toyota or Kia.

Anyway, I stood there and hung my head in dismay realizing all cars are now indistinguishable. As we got closer to home I caught sight of my Camaro sitting in the drive. It's chiseled lines and muscular shape made me smile. More than ever, I hope to keep my Camaro forever. It may be 13 years old, but no one mistakes it for a Toyota.

[JackDidley]

Park one of every late model SUV in a row and I cant tell the brand of any. Put a 69 Chevy wagon in the middle and I can tell you what it is.

[Scott Douglas]

Way back in '92 I think it was, might have been before then, I drove back to KC MO to visit my friend Zeke.
We went to see where his dad worked and had to go thru a guard gate at the parking lot entrance. The guard asked us if the car I was driving was a Toyotie.

It was my '68 BMW 1600.
Zeke never lets me forget that event, even to this day.

[stevej37]

I was stopped at a light yesterday and the gray SUV in front of me caught my eye.
It was slightly smaller and looked nice. The rear badge said 'Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid'.
I didn't know the Corolla was also an SUV....it was about the same size as a Honda HR-V

[sc_rufctr]

Surprisingly the Chinese made MG's designs are different. They're not what I would call great design but at least they're trying to do something original.

I'm guessing they have a design studio outside of mainland China.

[sc_rufctr]

Like this one Dixie? Not awful... Celica/Prelude?

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by JackDidley

Park one of every late model SUV in a row and I cant tell the brand of any. Put a 69 Chevy wagon in the middle and I can tell you what it is.

Same here. The ID of full sized cars gets a little fuzzy for me by the late 60s, but before that, Im pretty good. I can’t tell the difference between a Henry J and an Allstate without seeing the badge though.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Like this one Dixie? Not awful... Celica/Prelude?

Looks like a 2025 Generic to me.

[JackDidley]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Same here. The ID of full sized cars gets a little fuzzy for me by the late 60s, but before that, Im pretty good. I can’t tell the difference between a Henry J and an Allstate without seeing the badge though.

Me too. The badge is the only difference.

[Chocaholic]

Originally Posted by JackDidley

Park one of every late model SUV in a row and I cant tell the brand of any. Put a 69 Chevy wagon in the middle and I can tell you what it is.

This is true. Although the new Toyota Land Cruiser has caught my eye.

[Dixie]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Like this one Dixie? Not awful... Celica/Prelude?

I never meant to imply it's awful. In fact, it might be the best looking Toyota I've seen in years. Anyway, I think this is it, as it has four doors. I wasn't brave enough to check out any badging. Old people in Florida don't cotton to inquisitive types checking out their cars. (They do like to complain my bone stock Camaro is too loud, but that's another story.)

Edit to add, thank God BMW didn't slap the ginormous gaping grill on it. Hopefully that trend is over.

[Eric Hahl]

I loved my M235i. One of the best cars I've ever owned.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by JackDidley

The badge is the only difference.

Gone are the days when kids can play "Name that car" while driving around with their folks.

Manufacturers now pay close attention to drag coefficient numbers to reap free MPG from slippery shapes. One big downside is that many vehicles now look so similar that badging really IS the only way to tell them apart. SUVs are a lost cause as far as styling is concerned anyway...only so much you can do with big boxy shapes like that.

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

I loved my M235i. One of the best cars I've ever owned.

After 4 previous BMWs, I now have the lesser 230i and feel the same about it...one of the nicest driving cars I've had in quite a while. The latest M240i version must be a real hoot with an additional 125HP on tap in the same chassis...and total bonkers with the 473HP in the M2

[Sooner or later]

I have an M240i

[herr_oberst]

I remember that color on a classic BMW from BITD....

[masraum]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Like this one Dixie? Not awful... Celica/Prelude?

At least the kidney beans or whatever the two classic BMW intake grills are called don't look like they've been patterned after a baboon's but when they are in heat.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by rcooled

Gone are the days when kids can play "Name that car" while driving around with their folks.

Manufacturers now pay close attention to drag coefficient numbers to reap free MPG from slippery shapes. One big downside is that many vehicles now look so similar that badging really IS the only way to tell them apart. SUVs are a lost cause as far as styling is concerned anyway...only so much you can do with big boxy shapes like that.


After 4 previous BMWs, I now have the lesser 230i and feel the same about it...one of the nicest driving cars I've had in quite a while. The latest M240i version must be a real hoot with an additional 125HP on tap in the same chassis...and total bonkers with the 473HP in the M2

Bingo..it's all about drag coefficient numbers and govt. CAFE standards...which pretty much puts the stylists out of work....making all cars having the rolling jelly bean shape.

[Steve Carlton]

My Chevy looks just like an Audi...

[KNS]

What a depressing time to be an automotive designer. Appealing, attractive cars you'd like to design but are hamstrung by regulations and fuel economy/aero requirements.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Dixie

I never meant to imply it's awful.

Some do say differently.