What the Hell is Going on with BMW Design?

Are there psychotherapists for multinational corporations? If not, perhaps there should be, because BMW is going through an identity crisis. Once a hallmark of elegant styling, the German luxury brand finds itself at a crossroads as the world begins a shift in earnest to electric powertrains. When your middle name is literally “Motoren,” you’ve built your entire identity on engines, and internal combustion is facing extinction, what do you do?

The answer for BMW seems to be garish kidney grilles and hulking, angular form language. At the same time, its famous blue-and-white roundel is doing the occasional disappearing act, and the brand’s interiors are all screens and diamond-faceted trim.

So, what’s happening with BMW, and where is it headed with all of this? Can we expect its schizophrenic styling streak to continue, or is the brand finally on the verge of deciding what it will be in a post-ICE world? Auto analyst Jim Hall joined AutoEsoterica’s Craig Cole for a look at BMW’s history, its present crisis of faith, and what the future holds.

Join the duo for a fascinating and entertaining discussion about curing German kidney disease on the AutoEsoterica YouTube channel.

AutoEsoterica is home to the under-appreciated and fantastical in car culture. Frontman Craig Cole is a life-long car enthusiast whose videos range from the restoration progress of his vintage Fords to design analysis and industry insights from contributors Jason White and Jim Hall.

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