[Mogwai888]

Seems a nice update in line with current BMW design language.

Also, this is China spec so assume Li means the longer wheel base version which together with the smaller wheels and chrome in most of the photos doesn’t do it any favours!

[Tallest]

My take: the only weak point to me are the headlights.

Sadly, the headlights are like the biggest thing. These ones have no character and dont know what they wanna be. They smoothed out the small "bite" into them that made the OG very distinguishable.

The bumper on OG didnt look great, especially those slits on sides of bumper on corners, they looked, lets say, strange. But this car has this sorted. So all in all, looks fine, now it looks a bit more like the 5 series which I dunno, if you like the 5 get the 5. New 5 is a massive car, has undersized wheels. Overall though still nicest looking BMW is the 5, this 3 is close, then there is STEEP drop off.

[iifymbro]

Originally Posted by Dinh335

LCI threads always follow the same storyline ….

-Hate and comparisons to "ugly"cars

Then pre lci pride kicks in w the inevitable "our cars just went up in value"

A fight about the true meaning of progress

E46 gets mentioned (that's coming in the next few pages)

Usually I'd agree, you see this play out all the time especially when a new gen gets released.

But that rear end....yeesh. They truly didn't have to change the rear bumper, these Lci changes just for the sake of change need to stop, if it ain't broke don't fix it. They didn't have to go scorched earth on the lights either, just give the LED ones a refresh with better DRL and call it a day.

[TheStanman]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

How so? BMWs core buyers are badge/status whores. This is just what the Doctor ordered.

I think this is a good point. BMW's target demographic in the US has shifted over the past decade or two. From understated car enthusiast niche to a more mainstream tech and status-focused buyers.

The result is BMW's previous core customer is perpetually unhappy with every new product.

For design, it went from understated and cohesive to "look at me!" For engineering, things like weight and steering feel don't matter to the current customer base.

Im in the camp that's perpetually disappointed. But the reality is there is a business reason for it. Though I do think other OEMs have better handled similar shifts.

Regarding the LCI, I'm in the camp that the front is ok but the rear sucks.

[Pentium]

Originally Posted by swagon

LCI of the E90 was the best LCI ever. Granted, it was more involved than usual, but it made the car look much, much younger.

I still have mine, waiting and waiting!

[GTF]

I can't stand the huge front cut-out.....reminds me of the huge bass mouth grille of the (now deceased) Avalon. Both front and rear looks like they were designed by a committee. Porsche has resisted climbing on design "trends"....wish BMW would as well. Glad I have a '21.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by MontyB1

Yeah I think they are stretching what a diffuser is and how it works to the absolute limit. I wonder how many sales people say it increases downforce....

I'm left wondering if it's even functional.

[e46e92love]

The amount of haters on this forum has been consistent now for 16 years…..so there's that.

Cheers,
e46e92

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

How so? BMWs core buyers are badge/status whores. This is just what the Doctor ordered.

Mercedes can't made a lively handling car if their brand's livelihood depended on it.

It has always been this way and it usually is with all luxury makes. The thing is that driving dynamics were always closely associated with the badge. Crazy styling wasn't needed to attract buyers.

Today it's about styling and low mileage leases because driving dynamics only take BMW so far when their customer is driving to the grocery store, work, and interested in talking about the latest Iphone.

When the target customer changes BMW must adapt.

[m3AW16]

its still ugly as ****

[EXE46]

Originally Posted by EDWYER

The rear diffuser looks out of place. IMO

Belongs on a Japanese car, I have see aftermarket versions of this diffuser on Lexus ISF/RCF etc.

[iifymbro]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

I'm left wondering if it's even functional.

absolutely not lol, an actual functional diffuser looks like this, have to be under the rear end:




....then there's this

[Quadruple VANOS]

We really need to wait for the official western market release, but I find myself feeling relieved. This refresh could have been so much worse.

[Ereim]

I like everything but the rear diffuser. I was planning to go with a darker color anyway, and after seeing these photos I’m glad because it will blend better with the rear end 🤓. As long as the features I want are available when my dealer is able to order, I’m going to pull the trigger.

[Cortexiphan]

I guess most people are really going through though times. It’s incredible such a light refresh can spur so much toxicity and hate. This looks almost the same as the old one, slightly more modern. And I drive 8 is an improvement, and it’s more expensive to make so there’s no ‘cost cutting’ either.

Oh also headlights are hofmeister kink shaped. Very traditional.

[Cortexiphan]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

Today it's about styling and low mileage leases because driving dynamics only take BMW so far when their customer is driving to the grocery store, work, and interested in talking about the latest Iphone.

When the target customer changes BMW must adapt.

Considering the G series is so much better than F in terms of driving dynamics, this doesn’t make any sense at all. BMW is still very focused on driving experience: M5CS came out very recently, and it’s possibly one of the all time greats. G80 is the best driving M3 ever, IMO; even if you don’t think it’s the best it would be ridiculous to claim it’s worst than F80 in terms of driving dynamics. Same goes to G30 vs F10, heck even the SUVs drive better now than they used to.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by Cortexiphan

Considering the G series is so much better than F in terms of driving dynamics, this doesn’t make any sense at all. BMW is still very focused on driving experience: M5CS came out very recently, and it’s possibly one of the all time greats. G80 is the best driving M3 ever, IMO; even if you don’t think it’s the best it would be ridiculous to claim it’s worst than F80 in terms of driving dynamics. Same goes to G30 vs F10, heck even the SUVs drive better now than they used to.

Better? No doubt on paper they're better today but the feel is completely different. I'm talking about cars from the heyday 1980's Yuppie-mobile through to the present. The E36 for example was so much fun to drive but it was a lot smaller. Driving one for the first time is an experience I will never forget. Especially compared to what was available at the time.

The 3 series today is an E39 5-series in size.

[adamkb26]

Damn, their design is going downhill at an alarming rate for pretty much all models.

[CrippledLucifer]

Originally Posted by swagon

LCI of the E90 was the best LCI ever. Granted, it was more involved than usual, but it made the car look much, much younger.

I agree although I may be a bit partial as I own an LCI E90. It's aged so well.

[adc]

Originally Posted by TheStanman

I think this is a good point. BMW's target demographic in the US has shifted over the past decade or two. From understated car enthusiast niche to a more mainstream tech and status-focused buyers.

The result is BMW's previous core customer is perpetually unhappy with every new product.

For design, it went from understated and cohesive to "look at me!" For engineering, things like weight and steering feel don't matter to the current customer base.

Im in the camp that's perpetually disappointed. But the reality is there is a business reason for it. Though I do think other OEMs have better handled similar shifts.

Regarding the LCI, I'm in the camp that the front is ok but the rear sucks.

I agree about the brand shift, very well stated.

But I’m in the camp that the front is a disjointed disaster while the rear is just cheap.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

It has always been this way and it usually is with all luxury makes. The thing is that driving dynamics was always closely associated with the badge. Crazy styling wasn't needed to attract buyers.

Today it's about styling and low mileage leases because driving dynamics only take BMW so far when their customer is driving to the grocery store, work, and interested in talking about the latest Iphone.

When the target customer changes BMW must adapt.

Exactly. It's just a handful of us who even owned cars from BMW's glory days. Your average 35 yr old (target demographic for many BMW models) has never driven an E46 and likely never even an E90. They've grown up in a world where technology has made immense strides and prioritize that in a car. I'm a tad under 30 and only got to experience those glorious cars because my parents could afford them.

The cars that still prioritize driver engagement generally don't sell because they have to make compromises in areas like UX, marketing, dealership support, and overall brand image due to lesser budgets than big players like BMW Mercedes etc. Cadillac sedans, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar XE, etc. the list goes on of driver's cars that aren't valued by the market.

Porsche has mastered the art of attaining a very high level of brand cachet/loyalty while maintaining a focused attitude toward their brand heritage. However even within their portfolio, the 911 and especially Boxster/Cayman sell in minuscule numbers relative to the mom cars they produce. Pre-pandemic it wasn't that difficult to find 718s collecting dust on dealer lots with discounts.

[Poiseuille]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

How so? BMWs core buyers are badge/status whores. This is just what the Doctor ordered.

Mercedes can't made a lively handling car if their brand's livelihood depended on it.

so maybe 10 years ago my brother and I were invited by NA to one of those comparos they do from time to time: some sort of A6, an E class and a recently introduced 535. was in a giant parking lot at 6 Flags, got to flog each around a very large cone course, twice, 'instructor' in the right seat. the Benz was so bad that we accused the instructor of sabotage, likely by disconnecting the rear bar based on massive, cartoon-like under steer. instructor denied sabotaging the Benz insisting that's how they sell them. car was a joke.