[xsb00st]

Toning Down the 'Bangle Butt,'
BMW Redesigns Its 7 Series
By EDWARD TAYLOR
July 9, 2008; Page D1

In its new 7 Series sedan, BMW AG is abandoning some of the striking design elements that characterized the previous model -- and turned off some lovers of the luxury brand.

The new model, which comes as the conservatively styled Lexus LS has outsold BMW in the top-end luxury-sedan segment, will hit showrooms in 2009. Breaking with a look introduced in a controversial model unveiled in 2001, the 7 Series is returning to simple, sleek lines. It no longer has a bulging trunk lid (dubbed the "Bangle butt" after its designer, Christopher E. Bangle) or headlights often described as "tearful," with accentuated curves on the lower lid.


BMW
The new 7-series combines elements of the 3-series coupe and the 5-series.
The latest 7 Series, unveiled last week, combines elements of the German auto maker's 3 Series coupé and the 5 Series, which have a more traditional look. BMW hopes to woo customers with radical innovations under the skin, such as a thermal imaging camera that spots stray pedestrians at night, Internet access and four-wheel steering, which reduces the turning radius of the car.

Although the car hasn't yet hit showrooms, online photos and video of the new look are sparking comments around the globe. James Dills, the 33-year-old executive manager of a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Sacramento, Calif., calls the new design a "definite improvement." Mr. Dills, who is shopping for a used 5 Series, prefers the pre-2001 design to the current one but thinks the new design has BMW "heading in the right direction."

The launch of the 7 Series is a critical step for BMW as it seeks to boost sagging profit margins. The luxury sedan is one of the few vehicle categories where margins are robust, thanks to well-heeled, status-conscious buyers who tend to order vehicles with expensive options such as metallic paint, electric heated seats, navigation systems and entertainment systems.


BMW
BMW toned down some of the fourth generation's extreme details in 2005 with some cosmetic changes.
When the current 7 Series was launched in 2001, it represented a radical break from the Munich-based firm's traditional conservative styling. BMW at the time wanted to broaden its appeal beyond the German firm's traditional customer base. It also aimed to help customers distinguish between the designs of its 3 Series, 5 Series and 7 Series sedans, which to some had become the same car in small, medium and large.

But some BMW fans disliked the design and launched an Internet petition calling for BMW's top designer, Mr. Bangle, to be fired. More than 14,000 people signed the petition. BMW toned down some of the extreme design details in a 2005 reworking of the car. Mr. Bangle is now director of design at BMW Group, which includes Rolls-Royce and the Mini brand.

In designing the new car, BMW placed as much emphasis on making the new 7 Series "elegant" as on making it "distinctive," Chief Executive Norbert Reithofer said at a presentation in Munich last week.

Mr. Reithofer said the final design of the new model is the product of an exhaustive evaluation process that started out with six potential designs submitted by competing teams. "The entire management board was involved in weeding out designs that were deemed unsuitable," Mr. Reithofer said.

Although the current 7 Series is the most successful 7 Series ever in terms of unit sales, it hasn't kept pace with its main competitors. Sales of the current model, despite the 2005 reworking, never managed to overtake the market-leading Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Last year, Mercedes-Benz sold 85,500 S-Class cars, helped by the fact that it presented a new generation in 2005. In 2007, BMW sold fewer than 50,000 7 Series.


Toyota
BMW's 7 series was overtaken in 2007 by the Lexus LS.
Perhaps more troublesome for BMW, sales of the 7 Series were overtaken by the conservatively styled Lexus LS in 2007. Lexus boosted sales of its LS to 71,760 sedans in 2007 -- nearly double the previous year's 34,833 -- after introducing a new generation in 2006. BMW aims to increase sales of its 7 Series with the new model, which is known as the fifth generation.


BMW
BMW hopes the new model will boost its competitiveness.
Adrian Van Hooydonk, director of design at BMW automobiles, who styled the exterior of the new 7-series, says the car is distinctive and designed to reflect "authenticity and engineering precision." The new BMW now has a "stance and proportion" to express "power and dynamics," Mr. Van Hooydonk said.

Mr. Van Hooydonk, a Dutchman, said BMW kept to its custom of not polling customers before putting it into production. "We don't use customer clinics," Mr. Van Hooydonk said. "They will be judging it based on the world today. Design needs to look good in eight years' time. You can't ask a customer whether he will like the design of the car in 2018." BMW does spend a lot of time researching customer needs before designing a car, Mr. Van Hooydonk said.

BMW is also keeping its i-Drive system, a button mounted near the armrest with which to control the vehicle's suspension system, climate control, satellite navigation and entertainment systems. Like a computer's mouse, it can be used to point and click through menus on an in-dash display. The system -- which was quickly dubbed "why-Drive" or "iDunno" when it was introduced in 2001 -- has since been copied by rivals Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

Analysts at HSBC say the global premium-car market has grown by 20% since 2003. Volume growth in the global premium-car market is set to rise 24% between 2007 and 2013, HSBC said in a research report last month. Competition is getting more intense in this segment of the market. Audi's A8 is connecting with drivers, as sales rise, while Infiniti, the premium brand owned by Nissan, will launch a raft of new cars in Europe this year.

Separately, BMW on Tuesday said it's exploring a cooperation deal with Fiat SpA of Italy to jointly develop components for Mini and Alfa Romeo vehicles. Both companies declined to divulge details of the possible collaboration.

Write to Edward Taylor at edward.taylor@wsj.com

[Spec 1]

Good article. I think the new 7 will outdo the old model quite easily. The Bangle designs were so far away from what BMW had done their entire lifespan that it never really settled well with fans of the brand. The new design incorporates the new BMW look while still simplifying things and(seemingly) getting back to attracting customers based on engineering.

I still hate the taillights, but the rest of the car is spot on.

Originally Posted by xs*****

Separately, BMW on Tuesday said it's exploring a cooperation deal with Fiat SpA of Italy to jointly develop components for Mini and Alfa Romeo vehicles. Both companies declined to divulge details of the possible collaboration.

Um... RWD for new Alfa's coming to the States?

[chuck92103]

Yeah but the whiney kids will now complain the 7 series looks like a Lexus. Bottom line, people attack cars they cannot afford or do not own. It is an immaturity level that aflicts most car forums.

[Firefly6]

I wouldn't call the 2007 LS styling "conservative." Conventional maybe. The LS prior to 2007 was truly dowdy looking.

[NaTuReB0Y]

another one of those.....if you can't beat them....join them concept.

[Year's_End]

This Edward Taylor guy needs to stfu and quit bitchin.

[Year's_End]

I don't get how everyone keeps saying it has elements of the 5 series in it. That's really getting old. I don't see it at all. Someone help me with this, point out a single styling element that's similar to a 5er.

[xsb00st]

Originally Posted by Bimmer Loyalist

This Edward Taylor guy needs to stfu and quit bitchin.

[keanu1]

Originally Posted by Bimmer Loyalist

I don't get how everyone keeps saying it has elements of the 5 series in it. That's really getting old. I don't see it at all. Someone help me with this, point out a single styling element that's similar to a 5er.

maybe the elements of the 2010 5 series!!!