The BMW 4-Series is a relatively new addition to the company’s portfolio, with the first ever 4-Series still being offered today. It was spun-off from the 3-Series Coupé line to form body styles such as 2-door coupé, 2-door convertible and 5-door liftback. The last of these is of concern in today’s article. You see, the 4-Series will be updated soon and BMW might make one really strange design decision based on spy shots of the camouflaged car.
Today, we got news that instagram user @zer.o.wt had taken the time to render that upcoming 4-Series Gran Coupe. And here’s what it looks like according to the artist:
We recognise a few of BMW’s current design trends making their way into this rendering. The air-breathers on the front fender, the 2-Series inspired front headlights. But we also see things that BMW have only hinted at thus far. These include the unified kidney grille and the pop-out door handles.
These renderings also combine what we’ve seen on the BMW i4 Concept, which will be made into an all-electric production car based on the upcoming 4 Gran Coupe.
If the 4-Series Gran Coupe ends up looking like this, how do you think the fans will react? Perhaps the new looks are aimed at extending their customer base further and just like the E60, will make sense in hindsight. Let us know what you think.
PRESS RELEASE
The BMW Group is opening a new chapter in its history with the unveiling of a pure-electric Gran Coupe. The BMW Concept i4 takes electric drive to the core of the BMW brand and heralds a new era in Sheer Driving Pleasure. The BMW Concept i4 represents a look ahead to the BMW i4, slated to enter production in 2021.
The exterior – electrifying aesthetics.
The modern, elegant exterior represents a deliberate counterpoint to the dynamic flair of the driving experience. The perfectly resolved Gran Coupe proportions create an authentic, modern and confident appearance. The long wheelbase, fastback roofline and short overhangs form a basic profile brimming with elegance and dynamism. With its four doors, the BMW Concept i4 offers not only a high level of everyday usability and practicality, but also a much larger interior than the car’s modern and dynamic proportions would immediately suggest.
Clear surfaces and aerodynamic details.
Crisp, smooth lines and taut volumes merge into a rich, smoothly contoured sculpture and create a clear surfacing language. The modern exterior paint shade Frozen Light Copper reprises a colour nuance displayed by the BMW Vision iNEXT and showcases the interplay of surfaces to visually stunning effect. Blue elements in the front end, flanks and rear end point to the car’s BMW i origins. They shine a spotlight on the signature BMW i icons and bring the technology below the surface to the fore – for example, the kidneys in their role as an intelligence panel, the mouldings in the side skirts concealing the battery technology, and the diffuser elements in the rear end, which fill the design space vacated by exhaust tailpipes and enhance aerodynamic efficiency.
A host of other aerodynamic measures maximise the car’s electric range. The blanked off kidney grille and clear aero lips provide detail examples of sophisticated airflow engineering at work. Another distinctive area of the car are the wheel rims. These have been designed exclusively for the BMW Concept i4 and blend aerodynamic and lightweight design; smooth – and therefore aerodynamically optimised – surfaces contrast with ultra-low-weight, high-strength spokes. The rims extend the car’s palette of colours and materials, emphasising its luxurious overall character.
The front end – the eye-catching face of a new era.
The front-end treatment of the BMW Concept i4 presents the familiar BMW icons in a new look, lending a visually powerful face to the electric age at BMW. The prominent, closed-off kidney grille provides a tangible connection between the past and future of BMW. The BMW icon also gains new functionality: With no combustion engine to require cooling, the grille now serves primarily as an “intelligence panel” housing various sensors. The grille teases the technology behind the scenes with a special design for this model. The headlights likewise provide a bridge between the past and the future; the classical four-eyed front end is reprised here with a very modern and pared-back interpretation. Two intricate, freestanding LED elements on either side integrate all of the requisite light functions. Clean surfaces and a small number of crisp lines around the grille create a contemporary front-end graphic with considerable visual impact. A BMW i-style blue accent in the grille surround sets the seal on the front-end styling.
