BMW’s recent design philosophy has been a prominent talking point among car fans, particularly the design of the kidney grille on models like the latest 4 Series, M3 and M4. Head of BMW Design Domagoj Dukec has talked about the matter before, saying that the brand’s new direction won’t please everyone and that do reach certain customers, there’s a need to stand out.
Of course, plenty have expressed their thoughts on this shift, and among the many that have submitted their thoughts is 14-year-old Zeno. The young but passionate BMW fan understands that loving a brand doesn’t mean blind devotion, and posed some critical questions to BMW CEO Oliver Zipse focusing the design philosophy of BMW cars.
Impressed by Zeno’s courage and honesty, Dukec decided to organise something special for Zeno in an attempt to convince him of the new design approach. This involved bringing Zeno on a virtual tour (due to pandemic reasons) of BMW Group Classic, BMW Welt and BMW Design facilities, while explaining the history of the brand’s designs.
Dukec’s tour alongside journalist and BMW M ambassador Matthias Malmedie involves looking at some very early BMW models like the 328 that had a relatively large and vertical kidney grille. He transitions to other cars along the way, pointing out how the kidney grille evolved with the Neue Klasse (New Class) and E36.
The tour culminates at BMW Welt, where Dukec discusses the latest crop of BMW cars and how the cues of the past are modernised and adapted for the current time. Zeno also gets a chance to share his ideas on a future BMW model, with designer Anne on hand to sketch for him. The video clocks in at nearly 20 minutes, so if you want Dukec to try and convince you too, give it a view.
The post BMW Design head Domagoj Dukec faces his toughest critic – discusses past and present cars; kidney grilles appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
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