Say what you will about BMW’s design language, but you can’t accuse the Bavarian company of recycling the same styling approach repeatedly. The 5 Series doesn’t look like a shorter 7 Series, nor is the X7 a supersized X3. You’ll be glad to hear the rich variety among the company’s vast lineup will continue once the new design teams start work on October 1.
Top Gear magazine had a chat with BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk about the future design direction. He reiterated that the first projects from the new teams will materialize into production models from around the end of the decade. Once these new cars start coming out, they’ll avoid the “same sausage, different length” approach some rival brands have embraced.
“We don’t want it to become a formula that just prints out BMWs of different sizes.”
Freshly hired from Polestar, Maximilian Missoni has been tasked with drawing all the cars from the 5 Series and X5 up. Not just regular BMWs, but also future high-end models from the BMW Alpina brand. Ex-MINI design chief Oliver Heilmer will be responsible for the smaller vehicles, so starting with the 1 Series and X1 up to the 3 Series and X3. Heilmer and his team will also work on the M cars.
As for Domagoj Dukec, he’ll be stepping down from being the head of BMW design to occupy the same position at Rolls-Royce. His work on the first wave of six Neue Klasse models coming out by 2028 will remain unchanged. According to Van Hooydonk, the reshuffling will “give everyone a fresh perspective and a new energy for the next generation.” He admits that having two teams could lead to internal debates but his job is to solve any issues that might appear during the process.
“It’s my duty to ensure that BMW remains one brand globally with a recognisable design line. The new set-up could create tension or discussions, but that’s why I’m here. Nothing goes out the door unseen by me.”
You can read the full interview at the source link below.
Source: Top Gear
