At DTW we pride ourselves on our rigorous analysis and our capacity to separate the news from the hype.
Having looked at literally hundreds of thumbnail-sized photos I have been able to sort out the top six yellowest cars from all the other cars that weren´t yellow. I had to be careful though as one yellow car that came up in the search was from 2014. I didn´t include that. By the way, one of these cars, the Mila Plus, is the work of Magna, the Austrian Tier 1 supplier.
In at number six (above) we have the BMW M4 coupe. It´s really busy, this car. The last version was clean and almost Italianate (when the Italians don´t do that any more). I found myself admiring the outgoing car but this one seems like the aftermarket guys from the year 2028 have got to the car already. Is BMW trying to pre-empt the horrible body kits this car will one day be fitted with?
In at number five is the Pininfarina Sergio. In many ways this is far nicer than anything Ferrari now make. I could be persuaded to be seen in this whereas the red cars would make me feel as embarrassed as standing buck naked at someone´s funeral.
At four is what looks like a digital rendering. The on-lookers do look puzzled while the man on the left looks like he is regretting something.
At number three we have one of the few Lamborghinis we have ever shown at this site.
And number two is…
And the most yellow car on view at Geneva this year is the Magna Mila Plus. Again, more appealing than Ferrari and all other supercars now on sale. This has shades of the nice sculpting done in the 70s in Detroit. I get the feeling this was hand-crafted.
There wasn´t room on the list for another car so it has to be shown here, the one that didn´t make the cut, the seventh most glaring example of a yellow show car:
And this also didn´t get onto the list (proving that we didn´t just look at six yellow cars and write them down in random order):
I just want to support the comments regarding the BMW 4 Series vs. 3 Series Coupe of yore. The 3C was indeed italianate (a very carefully chosen and accurate description); it had a delicacy that made it most un-germanic and, actually, un-BMW. BMW’s approach these days seems to mean that its “DNA” is worn in bold on the sleeve of every car it makes, whereas Bangle managed to make its cars distinctive without everything having to be uniform. Time continues to reinforce the man’s genius … that and the banality of his successor’s oeuvre
Humble pie for me. At the time I hated Bangle´s cars (or whoever actually did them). The current crop is banal – I doubt I´ll get to like these with the passage of time. I might make exceptions for the cars the public hate, the GT3 and GT5 but my perceptions are coloured by the fact I have seen this with some nice interior trims. I wonder did they intend to make the last 3 coupe look Italian or was it an accident. Some of its surface panels have that flat, 60s style I like in old Fiats, Alfas and Lancias (the Fulvia springs to mind). This reflects my obsessions more than objective fact.
Oh dear, I’m actually rather fond of the 4 series coupé… and, to make matters worse, never really liked the E90 Three in any of its various variants.
That being said, van Hooydonk’s output is obviously lacking the lightning factor of Bangle’s work. Not that there are many good excuses for the original X3 or the E65 Seven, but for every abomination, there was an E85 Z4 or an E60 Five series.
That being said, I find the 4’s roofline enormously pleasing, the current cockpit architecture agreeable and the i range positively challenging. It’s just a pity that it’s mainly the onslaught of ghastly SUVs that’s most visible among the current crop of Beemers.
If I can like the GT3 then you can have the 4. That´s a fair deal.
I like the E65 7, but I think we’ve done that one before.
I like the 5GT. I think it’s the most amazing car in their current line up.
I am inclined to agree. Is there anything about it at all that points one in the direction of a 7 series? I mean, the GT5 makes the 7 rather redundant. Yet according to the journos the GT5 is “pointless”. Fan as I am of saloons, the hatchback format of the GT5 makes it super useful yet still evidently a really cushy car to be in, front and back. If the 7 were a better attempt at a saloon I might reconsider. As it stands it´s excessive and not in a fun way. I wouldn´t want on my driveway (if I had a driveway).
I’m finding it hard to find anything worthwhile about the F01 Seven – despite the general consensus being that we don’t need no other luxury saloon besides the S-class. In my opinion, there is a space for a sporting (Seven), elegant (XJ) and even technocratic (A8) variation of the decadent saloon. The problem is that the current Seven – as well as today’s A8, by the way – are failing to offer anything noteworthy. Where, in the BMW’s case, is the relatively compact, agile stance as embodied by the Spada-styled E32? Where is the litheness that makes the E38 such a welcome sight on today’s roads? At least the E65 stood out and, misguided as it was, did things differently. But I’m lost for arguments in favour of the F01 and would much rather be seen in a tatty old E23 – I car I never really cared about.
I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with the 7 series. But like you said the 5GT beats it for practicality and interior space, and it seems just as well appointed inside.
On the outside I’d go as far as saying that it has more presence than the 7. I’m particularly fond of the front 3/4 view, which to me looks incredibly well balanced and purposeful.
Sorry it looks like yellow paint is not an option so this picture will have to do:
It does all hang together quite well. Motoring writers are really unimaginative, aren´t they? I would take one of these in navy blue with a tan interior.