BMW Designers Explain Why The New 7 Series Facelift Works So Damn Well

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ReadWriteHexecute@reddit

after two generations of very ugly seven series this looks amazing

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desf15@reddit

Compared to pre-facelift 7? I think it's a massive step up.

Compared to any good looking car? It still looks like yesterdays turd.

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Read the article. The refresh was presented by Missoni who had nothing to do with it. He just had to present it as current head of design, but it was designed before he arrived. Everything he says is from a distance:

I think it does a very good job in having a very, very strong and unique character, and that's what I believe creates the presence."

I think applying the Neue Klasse formula was the most obvious match."

"Doing it so seamlessly and so flawlessly integrated, I think it was a relief to everybody to see how well it worked — how much more contemporary and modern it was."

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bullseye717@reddit

Reminds me of Steven Segal saying he just read the greatest script ever and he just happens to be the writer.

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NONFATBACON@reddit

I said that same thing when I saw the photo. It doesn’t work so damn well.

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cubs223425@reddit

Your edgy title with curse words won't convince me this thing looks good, Jalopnik. Glad to see your check from BMW cleared before posting though!

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spankmydingo@reddit

Am I missing something or did they lose their way after this era?Deaign done right

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Thomas_633_Mk2@reddit

Am I missing something or did they lose their way after this era?

No, you're unique, nobody has ever said the E38 looks good before. Like come on man, you know full well this is an extremely popular opinion and that people are gonna agree. People like Bangle now but that's because, like me, they grew up playing GT5-6 and Forza.

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franksandbeans911@reddit

They'll never top the sheer beauty and muscular presence of the E46 M3. Friend had one, I loved that car. Now it rusts in his yard while he drives a Tesla. Sad. But that era of BMW was bm-trouble-you and every time he opened the hood it handed him a fat bill. He got tired of that.

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Successful_Ad_9707@reddit

Designed by Stevie Wonder

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franksandbeans911@reddit

"It feels pretty nice" - Stevie

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franksandbeans911@reddit

Would look pretty cyberpunk if it was two tone, with the beltline down being black. That would improve that bull nose of a grill but black paint can't hide everything.

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NarcoticCow@reddit

‘BMW designers justify their jobs’ lol

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furrynoy96@reddit

But it doesn't though

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PinkishOcean430@reddit

It's handsome/great looking IRL in black. Helps make the front more cohesive when all the same color.

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WATTHEBALL@reddit

BMW needs to stop asking 12 year olds what they think looks cool

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TheReaperSovereign@reddit

So ignore reddit and keep doing what theyre doing lol?

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NoctD@reddit

Screams China all over. Only place on earth this design will sell.

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strongmanass@reddit

It already sells well in the US.

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makina323@reddit

I cant be this out of touch to think that im on the 1% to think this thing is just plain ugly

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ThunderStriker666@reddit

As a bmw, it's kinda ugly. But it also looks cyberpunk luxury in silver as an ordinary car. Not that it makes it any better looking.

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ArcticBP@reddit

For some reason, the corner lights bug me more than anything else

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SophistXIII@reddit

You mean the taillights BMW lifted from the Lincoln MKX? Lol

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ArcticBP@reddit

I mean the lights on the side of the front bumper but funnily enough I walked past the back of a ~2010 MKZ this afternoon and immediately thought it looked like the new BMWs

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r00000000@reddit

I think it's just divisive, IRL I know people love or hate the car too, but I live in affluent area and these new BMWs are easily the second most common enthusiast car for young drivers here after the FRS/BRZ, it's our generation's "it" car.

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JProhaska3@reddit

I’m right there with you

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Ok_Code_163@reddit

BMW 7 Series design is always meant to be bold and divisive, so it makes sense that it’s getting strong reactions again. The Neue Klasse direction clearly focuses more on presence, tech integration, and a more “monolithic” look rather than traditional elegance.

A lot of people may not like it at first, but BMW usually designs these flagships to grow on users over time once you see it on the road.

In general, comparing Cars across brands and generations helps understand design intent better, especially when looking at premium Best Car Brand strategies.

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gaius49@reddit

I strongly dispute the premise.

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TwoPaintBubbles@reddit

It's makes the 7 series look tall like an suv. Gross.

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lurpeli@reddit

The facelift was very clearly targeted at the Chinese market. If their sales have gone up there because of this, it worked.

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Fearless_Neat_6654@reddit

lol

Why, oh why do Westerners always blame Chinese consumers for Western companies make bizarre design choices?

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ManufacturerBest2758@reddit

What is BMW’s largest market?

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Fearless_Neat_6654@reddit

China, but that's largely due to China having over a billion people

Sales have been decreasing massively in China, while sales in the US have been climbing.

So I guess Americans love this new design direction more than anyone else 🤷‍♂️

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ManufacturerBest2758@reddit

Every foreign automaker has collapsed in China because of government-subsidized domestic production, so blaming that on design choices made late in the G-chassis isn’t really a strong argument.

In fact, BMW’s largest sales ever in China have happened over the life of the G-chassis vehicles, which all have had the controversial designs to “Westerners.” But I’m sure you’ve some unimpeachable reason locked and loaded to discount that, so you don’t even need to write one.

Of course, the other theory is that BMW does not make designs for their largest market, and even if they were, they aren’t working.

Fascinating logical fortress you’ve constructed.

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V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit

Is that 7-series sales ? If so, I kind surprise that because most people in North America are buying SUV these days. Oh, I forget X7 existence, sorry.

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Thomas_633_Mk2@reddit

"China is a big country, inhabited by many Chinese" - not actually Charles De Gaulle, it's apocryphal, but you get the point

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peakdecline@reddit

I wouldn't call this blame and I find it equally hard to call BMW's design decisions bizarre. It is very clearly working favorably for BMW. Markets do have design preference differences.

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tgkid88@reddit

Just wish we could get an analog version

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TheOliveYeti@reddit

"employees explain why their new product looks so good"

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ScipioAfricanvs@reddit

People keep saying they come around to this design language. Hasn’t worked on me in all these years. I see an M2, M3 or M4 in traffic and my lip curls in dislike. Guess I’ll add the 7 series to it. Whats crazy is the other cars like an M340i are fine if not attractive.

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PolarWater@reddit

At least you have a lip...

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ThePretzul@reddit

BMW needs to stop trying to make the buck teeth happen. They’re not going to happen.

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tykempster@reddit

My wife and I call it the moose knuckle.

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PolarWater@reddit

Well, of course they would think that.

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imightgetdownvoted@reddit

Facelift looks great IMO. Just wish the passenger screen was better integrated. Looks like an afterthought

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TestingThrowaway100@reddit

Agreed. I’m not a huge fan of the new design language but the way they squared off the front bumper compared to the previous gen makes it work.

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aresev6@reddit

That's a problem with a lot of new cars. I bought a Taycan mostly because the screens looked better than anything else on the market

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EVRoadie@reddit

That. That is...awful.

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AWill33@reddit

I drew better with legos

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mcorliss3456@reddit

Absolutely horrific.

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Korypal@reddit

It looks like absolute shit, what are those knobs on about

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kon---@reddit

Sniffing their own farts explains a lot.

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desertdwellingddweeb@reddit

Because it had dimensions and presence like an suv. It’s the g class of luxury sedans. Look at how many people are willing to spend beyond their means to get a stupid fucking military vehicle with leather and fancy leds. Boxy and angular is popular with men. I have already seen 3 or 4 of these in my area. I think it’s prolapsed anus ugly. But I’d never buy any 7 series or s class.

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