BMW design Top Dog Adrian van Hooydonk knows how we feel about the new grille.
Apparently, we will all look back on these design decisions with fondness in the future.
Few car design decisions, if any, were being as harshly criticized in 2020 as BMW’s new 3- and 4 Series kidney grille. Once visually manageable, they’ve grown to occupy nearly a third (more?) of the car’s front fascia. From the very first spy shots, the internet was abuzz with negative comments – we might have said something about it.
And truth is, BMW is very well aware that the face of some BMW products is essentially hated by a large portion of car enthusiasts. BMW’s design boss Domagoj Dukec told Top Gear that the company has heard the comments: “I’m reading social media and press, and I can see that some people are wondering where BMW is heading, but I can assure you that we have a clear vision about where we’re going. We all love the brand.”
2021 BMW M3 | Photo: BMW
He brings the Bangle-era BMWs are once being hated on by legions of fans and critics alike but that, today, all look back on the cars fondly. We’ll have to disagree heavily here.
He adds: “Now, this is a special time. It is different and distinguished [the new cars], I think this is something we are used to. It is not our goal to please everyone in the world. You can’t make a design which pleases everyone. But you have to please your customers,”
2021 BMW M3 and M4 | Photo: BMW
In other words, BMW’s decision was made solely to entice a specific target group of potential customers. Dukec says that 20% of people like what they’ve done with the kidneys and they are the targeted customers.
Adrian van Hooydonk puts it succinctly: “It’s really fantastic [if you have fans]. It means you have people that not just buy your products, but love what you do. Of course, if they love what you do, the minute you change it, they might have an issue with it. It comes with the territory.”
