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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Discussing the current generation Z4
Zeld4
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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by Zeld4 » Mon Oct 08, 2018 12:26 am

I’m sure people have seen this but to me it seems a bit of a cop out, like he’s making excuses for a terrible looking car. All cars have crash safety legislation to deal with but that hasn’t stopped Porsche or Audi or. Alpine from making the front end look good. He even says the front looks peculiar but he thinks it works!! Do we really need to be convinced that it looks good even though it looks terrible? They’ve totally screwed up this time.
https://www.bmwblog.com/2018/08/24/bmw- ... le-miglia/

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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by Busterboo » Mon Oct 08, 2018 1:22 am

I won't say out loud what a mess the G29 looks until I see one in the flesh.

In the meantime, I'm very glad that (i) I have a 35iS and (ii) didn't order a G29.
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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by Z4 Beemer » Mon Oct 08, 2018 6:21 am

The “peculiar” statement seems to relate to the vertical stacked lights, which are peculiar (unusual) to BMW styling. I didn’t read the article and think he was making any excuses... :?
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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by srhutch » Mon Oct 08, 2018 6:29 am

Z4 Beemer wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 6:21 am The “peculiar” statement seems to relate to the vertical stacked lights, which are peculiar (unusual) to BMW styling. I didn’t read the article and think he was making any excuses... :?
That’s how I read it as well.
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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by Angelus666 » Mon Oct 08, 2018 12:33 pm

Some weird comments from someone who is surely meant to love the car and enthuse about it....things like "sports car like"....err...isn't this meant to be a sports car?! I'd wager that this will have a very early LCI that will completely address the front end.

It would be very interesting to run a poll on here to see how many Z4 enthusiasts will actually be ordering one within the first year. I'd bet less than 5% of the total members.

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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by MrPT » Mon Oct 08, 2018 3:04 pm

At least all evidence points towards it being genuinely good to drive. Even the very stoic chief engineer for the Supra (allegedly) said BMW told him they were going to try and make a Boxster beater. The engine and seat position are a better foundation than the previous two generations, for starters. There are other little clues too, like the 255cm front tyre width and that sub-8 Nordschleife time.
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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by Z4 Beemer » Mon Oct 08, 2018 6:12 pm

Angelus666 wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 12:33 pm
It would be very interesting to run a poll on here to see how many Z4 enthusiasts will actually be ordering one within the first year. I'd bet less than 5% of the total members.
That won't tell you much. The thread I created on the first Sport model in the UK: viewtopic.php?f=52&t=109478 has got around 600 views. I posted it on another forum and it got over 16,000 views.

A 2-door roadster will always have a limited market, especially at a time with Brexit happening.

I bought the E89 around January/February 2009, before they launched and hit the roads around May 2009. No regrets in doing that.

Not fully decided if I'm going for a G29 at the moment, or later down the line, or in fact which model/engine. BMW haven't released PCP figures either, but I can say there is definite scope for discounts and negotiations. :)
Last edited by Z4 Beemer on Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:37 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by Nanu » Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:08 pm

Having seen this set of images I now think it looks like a slightly larger (And much more expensive) Mazda MX5 :o
G29 M30i M Sport San Francisco Red

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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by Z4 Beemer » Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:36 pm

Nanu wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:08 pm Having seen this set of images I now think it looks like a slightly larger (And much more expensive) Mazda MX5 :o
Overall its larger than the E89... with the exception of the wheelbase. I reckon the proportions overall are better on the G29.
g29 dimensions.PNG
g29 dimensions.PNG (85.33 KiB) Viewed 2866 times
e89 dimensions.PNG
e89 dimensions.PNG (88.4 KiB) Viewed 2866 times
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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by MrPT » Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:56 pm

One more for luck!
bmw-z4-coupe-2007-e86.png
bmw-z4-coupe-2007-e86.png (259.24 KiB) Viewed 2858 times
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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by Z4C_er » Mon Oct 08, 2018 9:38 pm

MrPT wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:56 pm One more for luck!
A work of art....
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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by Angelus666 » Mon Oct 08, 2018 9:59 pm

Z4 Beemer wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 6:12 pm
Angelus666 wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 12:33 pm
It would be very interesting to run a poll on here to see how many Z4 enthusiasts will actually be ordering one within the first year. I'd bet less than 5% of the total members.
That won't tell you much. The thread I created on the first Sport model in the UK: viewtopic.php?f=52&t=109478 has got around 600 views. I posted it on another forum and it got over 16,000 views.

A 2-door roadster will always have a limited market, especially at a time with Brexit happening.

I bought the E89 around January/February 2009, before they launched and hit the roads around May 2009. No regrets in doing that.

Not fully decided if I'm going for a G29 at the moment, or later down the line, or in fact which model/engine. BMW haven't released PCP figures either, but I can say there is definite scope for discounts and negotiations. :)
So, in the midst of a full-on global financial crisis, the 2 door roadster was more relevant than it is today with the unknown impact of Brexit. :headbang:

And...if this largely UK based Z4 community isn't feeling it, then that's massively telling. If I was the marketing director for this Z4 then I'd be worried a fair bit. I guess the reality today though, is if you've got £500 to spend on a fun car by BMW, then you'd really, really need to want the Z4 over the M2 for the same money....not for me though.

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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by Z4 Beemer » Mon Oct 08, 2018 10:56 pm

Angelus666 wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 9:59 pm
Z4 Beemer wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 6:12 pm
Angelus666 wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 12:33 pm
It would be very interesting to run a poll on here to see how many Z4 enthusiasts will actually be ordering one within the first year. I'd bet less than 5% of the total members.
That won't tell you much. The thread I created on the first Sport model in the UK: viewtopic.php?f=52&t=109478 has got around 600 views. I posted it on another forum and it got over 16,000 views.

A 2-door roadster will always have a limited market, especially at a time with Brexit happening.

I bought the E89 around January/February 2009, before they launched and hit the roads around May 2009. No regrets in doing that.

Not fully decided if I'm going for a G29 at the moment, or later down the line, or in fact which model/engine. BMW haven't released PCP figures either, but I can say there is definite scope for discounts and negotiations. :)
So, in the midst of a full-on global financial crisis, the 2 door roadster was more relevant than it is today with the unknown impact of Brexit. :headbang:

And...if this largely UK based Z4 community isn't feeling it, then that's massively telling. If I was the marketing director for this Z4 then I'd be worried a fair bit. I guess the reality today though, is if you've got £500 to spend on a fun car by BMW, then you'd really, really need to want the Z4 over the M2 for the same money....not for me though.
Not sure what point you’re making comparing it to the M2... 4 seater coupe vs 2 seater roadster...? :? Chalk and cheese spring to mind...?
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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by z4pilot » Tue Oct 09, 2018 11:12 am

Z4 Beemer wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:36 pm Overall its larger than the E89... with the exception of the wheelbase. I reckon the proportions overall are better on the G29.
Really? I think the proportions are all wrong. Compared to the E86, the G29 has 25mm less wheelbase, but an overall 32cm greater length? Notwithstanding the compromises that crash regulations have probably driven in the intervening years, I think the BMW design team have managed to make a pigs ear of it. Perhaps it's just not possible to make a good looking front-engined roadster any more given the need to provide crash space around all the hardpoints, although I'd argue that Aston Martin with the Vantage and Jag with the F-Type have managed better silhouettes.
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G29 looks peculiar says chief designer

Post by Zeld4 » Tue Oct 09, 2018 4:35 pm

Z4 Beemer wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 6:21 am The “peculiar” statement seems to relate to the vertical stacked lights, which are peculiar (unusual) to BMW styling. I didn’t read the article and think he was making any excuses... :?
It’s harldy a positive article though is it, and the whole narrative of it seems to be that people don’t think it looks great. Although they say most BMW fans like it, I haven’t noticed that amongst people I know. And the designer bringing up the grill and comparing that to the 328 Mille Milia, as that being a reason why the front looks different is just clutching at straws. I don’t think any one gives a hoot about the grill mesh, or would even notice it as making the front end better or worse. It’s the front end, and generall awkwardness of the long over hangs and proportions that have got people scratching their heads and asking “why”?

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