[tom.gnade]

So I just got back from BMW of Bel Air and I saw a bunch of current gen cars including a spectacular M2 manual with like 10k miles.

Then I came home and saw my E92 minutes later. I have to say I am quite certain that the E92 is far more beautiful than the F or G. I just can't seem to find the right proportions, sleekness, and beauty in any of the current designs. I wish they would get a clue but honestly it's a good thing because it makes me want to keep my car instead of buying an M4 or M2, which I could do if I really wanted to blow a wad on that, but I'd rather go on a vacation here and there with my family instead.

We all have our priorities. I also have a good eye for design, balance and proportion, and the E series was the best they have managed to make in the past 20 years aside from the unobtainium stuff that most mere mortals cannot afford no matter how much of a hard-on it gives them.

Just my .02 take it or leave it.

[e90yyc]

I will take it. But I will add that “blowing a wad” really needs “of cash” at the end to avoid ambiguity.

[KhaosKid]

It's true. I think it's because every new generation, the cars keep getting bigger and bigger. Older cars look a little more boxy whereas modern cars have all gravitated towards that space-shippy mercedes look with the more streamlined angles. The E9X did a really good job wityh the proportions, especially the rear of the cars. The flat trunk lid, the way the roof curves down towards the rear, the bumper, the hood, the fenders, everything just flows well and has a almost perfect balance of angular and streamlined. I do think the F31 4-series looks similar as well personally.
The LCI added the LED taillights and Xenon/LED headlights, and it helps if you replaced other halogen bulbs with LED, it becomes even more difficult to tell the age of the car, as older cars usually lack LED's since its a recent technology.

Anecdote: People always ask me how old my car is after riding in it. One time in 2018 someone asked me and I said 2016, and they didn't even bat an eye. I've heard similar stories from others over the years. (I told them the truth a few moments later, and they're like okay I thought it was older but I couldn't tell/wasn't confident). Not having a screen in the dash is probably what clued them in.

If you polish your paint, avoid/repair dings and scratches, and stay on top of all maintenance, and (this is big) take really good care of your cars interior, people cannot tell. Usually, the interior is the give-away on the age.

When someone sits in a car, they can usually tell if its old or new, even if they have zero car experience other than riding in cars before. The suspension communicates the age subconciously to people based on how smooth it is and how little NVH it has. When you take a turn, peope subconsciously brace themselves for the body roll. You don't know how many times at night I accelerated in a corner and my passenger would hear the engine getting louder, look at the speedometer and steering wheel while having a confused look on their face like what the heck is going on? and then they're like ohhhh this is a BMW. Most luxury cars will remain smooth if the suspension is maintained properly. but barely anyone does this.

The buttons for the climate control and radio will be scratched/faded unless the owner consciously pressed them with their finger pads instead of sharp nails. The seat-belts might not retract properly unless maintained. Lights on the dash, burnt out bulbs, stains, faded materials all make a car look old too.

At the end of the day, this platform wouldn't be so popular as it is today if it didn't look good, as well as perform good. As the owner though, it's up to you to maintain any car you own. I've seen old cars that shined as if brand new, and i've seen newer cars that looked like they had been abused with a giant dent on the door. If you maintain a car well, and take care of it well, people will always notice. It's respectable, because it's so rare, and it requires a lot of commitment. We're lucky to own these cars, the are awesome. That's why I always talk myself out of buying a new car. It's so easy to focus on the negatives, but if you focus on the positives you realize that we're truly blssed.

Anwyways, peace. enjoy your car.

[Fiasco]

Originally Posted by tom.gnade

So I just got back from BMW of Bel Air and I saw a bunch of current gen cars including a spectacular M2 manual with like 10k miles.

Then I came home and saw my E92 minutes later. I have to say I am quite certain that the E92 is far more beautiful than the F or G. I just can't seem to find the right proportions, sleekness, and beauty in any of the current designs. I wish they would get a clue but honestly it's a good thing because it makes me want to keep my car instead of buying an M4 or M2, which I could do if I really wanted to blow a wad on that, but I'd rather go on a vacation here and there with my family instead.

We all have our priorities. I also have a good eye for design, balance and proportion, and the E series was the best they have managed to make in the past 20 years aside from the unobtainium stuff that most mere mortals cannot afford no matter how much of a hard-on it gives them.

Just my .02 take it or leave it.

I completely agree with you. The 2-series was clearly created to address that need for a smaller car than the F30 & F32 had become. Its pretty wild how big they ballooned up to. The E90 & E92 design is timeless (so long as those awful yellow halos are done away with). Extremely attractive car.

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by tom.gnade

the E series was the best they have managed to make in the past 20 years aside from the unobtainium stuff that most mere mortals cannot afford no matter how much of a hard-on it gives them.

Agree on all points, but one minor critique. Sounds like you're referring to the "E9x" platform or more specifically in your case the E92, not ALL "E-series."

When I hear E-series, Mercedes comes to mind... but in the context of BMW I think of E20, E23, E30, E39, E46, etc. (which aren't even all 3-series cars) however I STILL agree that all those 'e-series' cars are still better than any of the new crap wearing the roundel, at least in the US market. I rented a F20 118i in Germany and thoroughly enjoyed that car! I can't even imagine how awesome the M140i must be, with the B58 in that same platform. However they even screwed that up and the new 1-series is front wheel drive.

“We have to bring a competitive car to the market and we would like to have a bigger car inside, but the same shape on the outside,” says BMW’s driving dynamics boss, Peter Langen. “So we have to move from rear- to front-wheel drive.”

“We first talked about going front-wheel drive in 2013,” adds Holger Stauch, head of the 1 Series project. “We thought about the expectation for the small cars, and we will get new customers from the extra compartment space we have opened up. Most customers can’t differentiate between front- and rear-drive anyway.”

[DaanBMW]

Agreed, the e92 is among the best looking bimmers even after such a long time. Proportions and simple but elegant lines, nothing busy or unnecessary - the effect being that the car just exudes stance and confidence. Powerful yet elegant at the same time, a mixture difficult to achieve. So much so that it's one of the few generations where the M models do not looks significantly more aggressive.

E46 is the other really good looking gen., esp. the coupe, with the M3 being the clear winner.

BMW has again gone to unremarkable if not downright boring designs, and as bad as the 3-series may be both the 5- and the 7-series are meh at best. Merc and esp. Audi (starting with the A5) have eaten BMW's lunch on the car looks side of things.

[G.Newt]

I own an F30 LCI (340) and an E90 pre-lci. E92 is BMW's best looking coupe. 4 series is too big. But for sedans, I think the F series is the best (lower tier) looking. Overall, E39 M5 and F90 LCI are my two favorite BMW sedans. The G20 has grown on me, but I can't get over the Lexus taillights.