Part 3: The role of aesthetics in automotive design
…continuing a series on exploring the role of aesthetics in automotive design
BMW shifted its target audience of its large luxury car market . Traditionally BMW’s were known, especially for their larger cars – the BMW 7 Series, to have a very conservative aesthetic which featured precision engineering. In this shift, BMW has undertaken a styling change to gain recognition no just for its engineering, but for its aesthetic qualities to appeal to a younger ‘individualistic’ audience. A reaction to this new direction has resulted in a backlash from many older BMW fans.
These were the conservative BMWs that were being made before the year 2000
“It moves away from everyone else and differentiates the brand – It makes a statement. The more you can get the consumer to be one with that vehicle and really link their emotion to that vehicle, which will translate into a situation where the consumer will say, `I want it.’ – What Chris Bangle (BMW Designer) is doing is reading that into the marketplace, and, rightly so, developing vehicles that go after individual emotions“ – Chris Cedergren (BMW’s Market Researcher)
Sometimes the senses and emotional response to the aesthetics of a car is so strong and/or unique that people develop special relationships with their vehicles. No doubt many may have a relationship with their car as a great deal of expense is invested in them, and although such relationships are also established with other products, there is something more about a relationship with the car.
After 2000 (2001 to be specific) - BMW revealed these two concept cars, the X-Coupe and the GINA - Followed up with the production of the BMW Z4
Click here for the design review on the 2009/2010 BMW Z4 Roadster
To make a possible comparison, another non-human relationship is those with animals/pets. Similarly with pets, we care for and clean them, we fuel/feed them, we are around them a lot and sometimes, we talk to them. This voluntary adoption of a machine and the responsibility that is involved probably adds to this as there is much time invested, just as a pet or a child. Maybe such a basis for this relationship can be drawn back to the time where people had horses as their personal means of transport where as mentioned earlier with the pets; we also took care of them, as they were a symbol of freedom that we could travel further than we could with our own two feet. ‘Four feet are better than two’ – Four legs, four wheels…
Cars are almost alive; they need air to breathe. In a stronger manner of description, our relationship with our car could be seen by some as symbiotic where it will take us to places we want and need to go, and we will maintain it and care for it. From its rods and cylinders pumping inside the engine creating a beat, to the resulting purring of the engine, all of these elements have hints of something that is alive in nature.
References:
HAKIM, D. “BMW Design Chief Sees Art on Wheels; Some Just See Ugly”, (2002)
Lewin, T. “How to: Design cars like a Pro”, Motor Books International, (2003)
