Future of BMW?

[Decolliber]

In Chicago last weekend, I went to Fields BMW (Glenview) with my bro-in-law, as he wanted to test drive a 325xi. Very nice car it was. But I also had an opportunity to take a look at the new Bangle styled 7 and 5 series sedans. They are as unattractive in the metal as they are in pictures. Take off the badges and they could easily pass for Korean imitations of Japanese cars.
Makes me wonder about the near term future of BMW, especially if the 3 series is also given a Bangle make-over. I know there are people who will buy them for the engineering, in spite of the styling. But there are also many who would never buy a BMW that looks like a Hyundai - including me (not that I have the money for a new BMW).
How much damage will this do to BMW?
Will BMW admit that it has made a ghastly mistake and go back to the classic BMW styling?
Foot note: I was at my local Audi dealer yesterday and saw a near new 740 BMW that someone had just traded on an A8!

[jyl]

BMW enthusiasts and the motoring press have been up in arms about the Bangle-styled cars.

Most think (I do) that they look terrible. The baboon butt on the 7-series, the Dame Edna eyeglass headlights on the 5-series, the hyena-like weak rear haunches of the Z4, etc.

Yet the cars keep selling, and well.

Either BMW buyers value engineering far more than styling, BMW enthusiasts are a small minority of BMW buyers, or BMW buyers value cachet over styling. If its #2 and #3, as I think, then BMW is pretty safe.

And the Bangle-era cars are gradually getting better looking. The 6-series is okay if you avoid the protruding butt, the prototype 3-series seems okay.

My guess is that eventually Bangle will get tossed out or toned down and BMW will do fine in the meantime.

The puzzling thing is, how in the world could BMW's top management and supervisory board have approved the gross Bangle designs? Sorry, but I think you have to wonder if those senior gentlemen got where they were through real love for cars - as opposed to finance smarts or political skills.

Still, that wouldn't be unusual nowadays. There aren't so many top auto executives who are real car guys. Most of them get chauffered to work, for heaven's sake.

Fortunately for BMW, they've got great engineers and good marketers, and a deep reservoir of reputation to draw from. Kind of like Porsche, come to think of it.

[vash]

that new VW super luxo sedan is gonna leave a mark too. the phaetom?

[Brillo]

GM?

[stealthn]

It's funny I was reading the new R&T and they also said they hated the exterior, then I read the latest Bimmer mag and they said they loved it.
I think it looks like other cars on the market and the fact they are BMW's don't matter (to me). I just saw Jay Leno on a Car & Driver show that said (hand)washing some cars is like a sensual experience, but with the new BMW "just run it through the car wash".

The really sad thing is they are going to do this (styling) to the M5