The current design of the BMW 4 Series has been a talking point among automotive enthusiasts and journalists. Frankly, anyone with eyes has always something to say about its whole styling, particularly the massive lung, err, kidney grille.
While the G22 4 Series’ designer wants you to embrace the quirks in the new styling, a former BMW designer, Frank Stephenson, shared his thoughts about this new design direction in a video he uploaded on his YouTube channel.
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While Stephenson didn’t totally dislike the whole design of the second-generation coupe, he was not completely sold with it. One of his primary points was the way the new 4 Series deviates away from the brand’s identity. On the side, he roasted the C-pillars that are different from previous BMWs, while the character lines seem too soft in his eyes.
As for the grille, Stephenson thinks that it’s disconnected from the whole styling of the coupe. It’s like two different people designed the grille and the body.
Those were just few of the many things Stephenson pointed out about the G22 4 Series’ design. You can watch the whole thing in the video embedded on top.
For the uninitiated, Stephenson has been a prominent name in the automotive industry in terms of design. In his new YouTube channel, he started a series wherein he shares his thoughts about the cars he designed before, particularly the modern Mini Cooper, the Maserati MC12, the McLaren P1 (and the rest of the current McLaren lineup), and the Ford Escort Cosworth’s iconic set of wings.
And yes, he also designed the first BMW X5 and spent 11 years with the company where he became the chief designer. He currently runs his own design studio, Frank Stephenson Design Consultancy.
Time