Preaching to the Converted
OK, I'll admit it. When I first set eyes on the Z4 I didn't know what to think. Certain angles I immediately liked, and others I just didn't. How a little time and exposure can change a viewpoint; a thought I can't fully understand but now at least appreciate. What was confusion to my inner senses is now my favorite roadster. Call me a flake, but I've done a 180.
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| The BMW Z4 has me rethinking the core fibers of my thought processes. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
Why should this be hard to admit? Well, first of all I have an over reactive need to be right. Just ask my wife. Secondly, I usually am - thought you'd enjoy that one. Really though, when I like something I usually continue liking it, and when I don't I usually hold strong to my disdain. As you can see, the Z4 has me rethinking the core fibers of my thought processes.
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| Despite initial controversy, Chris Bangle's extreme styling has won over a lot of previously disgruntled loyalists. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
Of course, messing with the styling status quo with the resulting pattern interruptions that have the power to free an entrapped mind could well have been American designer Chris Bangle's objective. Think of him as the automotive equivalent of the Fountainhead's Howard Roark - without the minimalist approach that is.
BMW's head of design has been under fire for taking what has been a fairly conservative nameplate into extreme styling territory in recent years, with the heads of the Bavarian brand in full support of his design direction despite controversy. That confidence has, in part, won over a lot of previously disgruntled loyalists. But Bangle's new products have 'grown' on the minds of these consumers too. I, for one, am guilty of initial insults, but as stated above I've warmed considerably.