Modern Makeover

In the early part of 2000, Christopher Bangle was promoted to the design chief of BMW. Under his guidance, BMW embraced a new form of styling design. Instead of the extremely conservative and rigid designs that defined BMW in the past, Bangle and his team began designing cars that were much swoopier and curvier. Bangle began to refer to this design as flame surfacing. Although this design philosophy has not only been criticized by BMW enthusiasts but also the automotive press, the new BMW styles have greatly increased sales.

When originally introduced, the "flame surfacing" was meant to illicit a love or hate emotional response from consumers. Luckily for BMW, the main response has been love. BMW has successfully increased their sales each year.

In addition to redefining their own company, BMW has inadvertently changed the high end automotive industry. In addition to employing the flame surfacing philosophy, Bangle also introduced a two level rear end. This revolutionary rear end, commonly referred to as the Bangle butt, was the most criticized design element of Bangle’s new changes. Ironically enough, the criticized element has not only become a staple of BMW design, but actually a staple of the high end car industry as a whole. The “Bangle butt” can be seen on many luxury vehicles, including the Mercedes-Benz S-class and the Lexus LS.