Advertisement
Find a Car
Go!

Not So Eternal Flame: BMW's Chris Bangle Out

By Marty Padgett
Marty Padgett Marty Padgett
Editorial Director BIO
Marty Padgett is High Gear Media's Editorial Director, overseeing the words that skim across High Gear Media's portfolio of automotive destinations... More

LATEST ARTICLE
30 Days Of 2013 Ram 1500: Heading West
Our 30-Day 2013 Ram 1500 has made its way safely to our Little Rock bureau. If you're following our... Read More
  • #5LEADERBOARD RANK
  • 5166ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
  • 111COMMENTS POSTED

7 251,642 views Feb 3, 2009
Follow Marty

Chris Bangle

Chris Bangle

Enlarge Photo
Always controversial, always opinionated and always ready with a sketch pen and a cocktail napkin, BMW design chief Chris Bangle is stepping down from the German automaker to take on a role outside the auto industry.

Bangle's influence on BMW style has been a veritable fountain of Haterade since he lit into the 2003 BMW 7-Series with "flame surfacing" style reminiscent of Frank Gehry's Guggenheim museums and other projects like the Disney concert hall in Los Angeles. Bangle spread the flames across the lineup, most dramatically on the Z4 roadster. As his theories played out across the BMW range, critics panned them one by one. For the bustlebacked 7-Series and its descendants, car writers even coined the term "Bangle butt" for the oddly tiered styling applied to formerly graceful cars.

For the past couple of years, Bangle has worked with Adrian van Hooydonk in BMW Group design, and the latter designer will take over Bangle's role while the auteur moves on to a mission outside the auto industry, according to a BMW release.


Bangle's strange ideas always troubled us here at TheCarConnection.com. For one, it tried to shift attention away from BMW as an "ultimate driving machine"--the most perfect pitchline ever--and the avant-garde shapes dragged the cars into the milquetoast "company of ideas" muck that BMW's agency tried to upsell in its place. He does get credit for fielding the MINI lineup and the current M3, fun cars with exquisite details, but the Rolls-Royce Phantom shaped under his watch is another demerit.

There is hope that the Bangle era will recede quickly: cars like the 2009 BMW 7-Series successfully mute the worst mistakes of the Bangle-butt cars. The 2010 BMW Z4 stays more extreme with its lines, but is a vast improvement over the previous car.

BMW fans out there--what's your take? Is BMW better without Bangle, or no? Tell us in a comment below.


Tags:
Posted in:
 
Contribute
Send us a tip Comment Contact the editor
Follow Us

 

Have an opinion?

  • Posting indicates you have read this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Notify me when there are more comments
Comments (7)

  1. WWS Posted: 2/3/2009 11:22am PST

    "Old 7 Series"

    The first Bangle-designed 7 Series always looked unfinished to me. The design of the stern looked as if they had to have that odd trunk no matter what...even at the expense of not knowing what to do with the tail lights.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  2. Taberd Lee Posted: 2/3/2009 11:51am PST

    "Every other manufacturers copy Bangle's idea"

    I really don't like the "Bangle butt" but almost every car makers out there at least have one in their line up, starting with Mercedes, then Lexus, even Hyundai. So love it or hate it, that design does have a very strong influence.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  3. Cyrus EM Posted: 2/3/2009 12:16pm PST

    "BMW passes Benz"

    Like it or not (I don't like the 7, new 3 or Z4 roadster), Bangle added pizzazz to BMW's concervative design, changed the car design world and is partly responsible for BMW passing Benz as the largest premuim brand in the world (MB did help with lucklaster designs and poor quality). Other designer have come and gone, he will be remembered with other greats. Sometimes it takes contreversy for that to happen...
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  4. Erik Posted: 2/3/2009 12:18pm PST

    "Z4 will stand as a classic"

    He hit a home run with the Z4, when he took the anonymous Z3 and made it into something that's going to be featured in automotive history books years from now. Lines like no other contemporary roadster.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  5. CYA Posted: 2/3/2009 12:48pm PST

    "CYA"

    Bye Chris! Shoulda stuck to designing coffee pots or corrugated boxes or somethin'
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  6. Randall Posted: 2/3/2009 11:16pm PST

    "YES!!!!!!!!!!!!"

    There is a God!!!!!!!! 2009 is starting to look good already, I may be able to avoid a bangle crap after all when I replace my E46, good move BMW!!!!!!
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  7. E36Piloti Posted: 2/4/2009 12:21am PST

    "Fanbois rejoice!"

    Of course, this news will have all the BMW fanbois and outside observers rejoicing. What they overlook is that Bangle's successor, AVH, is the one who actually penned the E65 and E62 that had everyone up in arms. Bangle set the tone and provided and the direction for his team of advisors in his position as design director. Even I think the results were mixed, but there is no doubt he has proven to be prescient, and did well to emphasize to the traditionally stodgy German companies that design is important, and that just making sausages in different sizes wasn't going to suffice.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

More From High Gear Media

 
 
The Car Connection
 
 
© 2013 The Car Connection. All Rights Reserved. The Car Connection is published by High Gear Media. Stock photography by Homestar, LLC. Send us feedback.