Over the past year, criticism has reached fever pitch, as cars like the 4 Series and iX made their respective debuts. Since then, fans have been asking, nay begging, BMW to go back to its roots, its beloved design elements of its past. However, BMW’s Design Boss Adrian van Hooydonk has no plans of looking backward.
During a recent interview with Top Gear, van Hooydonk was asked if he and his team would ever design a production car similar to the brand’s stunning Hommage concept cars. The answer was a definitive no.
The Bavarians have always been great at developing jaw-dropping concept cars but it’s been pretty crummy at actually putting them into production. The only car that BMW truly based off of a concept was the i8 and, considering its near universal praise, you’d think that the suits in Munich would want to do more. Especially considering just how beloved many of its Hommage concepts are, which pay tribute to BMWs of the past. Despite the desire from customers, BMW has no plans on doing any such thing.
What’s frustrating is that van Hooydonk is fully aware of the praise from fans and the desires of customers. He even said that the stunning Gandini-designed Garmisch recreation gained a huge amount of attention from Americans, with many potential buyers inquiring about an electric version. “That was a faithful recreation of a concept car created by Marcello Gandini,” he told TG . “The most interesting reactions were from the American market, where people said: ‘if you make that as an electric car, that would be my next car’.
He understands that customers want something retro-inspired but with modern technology. “People resonate very positively to something that they know – and can relate to – and new technology. There might be something there that can work in the marketplace.” he continued.
However, despite that understanding, it’s just not going to happen. “We feel we should continue the fire, as opposed to worshiping the ashes, if you know what I mean,” he said.
Despite our desire for such cars from BMW, they’re just not happening. Which is a shame because cars with retro-designs and high-tech powertrains work. When car companies honor their past with modern recreations, fans not only lose their minds but customers put their money down. Just look at the Honda E, with its CRX-inspired design or the Alpine A110, which might be the best recreation in automotive history. At the moment, those cars are beloved and customers are buying them, so it’s disappointing that BMW won’t do the same.
