Breaking NEWS! Chris Bangle Quits BMW

BMW's Chief Designer Chris Bangle sent a shock wave throughout the industry today by announcing that he will be quitting BMW. To "pursue his own design endeavors beyond the auto industry".

Starting off his career at Opel, and soon garnered attention when he penned the Fiat Coupe in year 1996 with Fiat; he's often dubbed as the most influential, controversial and iconic automotive designer in the 21st century automotive industry. First arrive in BMW in year 1992, he later penned the Z9 Gran Turismo Concept, which is a preview of the current 6 Series, the design was met by extreme criticism for being outright ugly, which features groundbreaking design cues of what Bangle dubbed "Flame Surfacing" and "Concave Surfacing".

He later penned the BMW CS1 Concept in year 2002, and it showcases Bangle's determination in transforming BMW from a Braun Buffel briefcase to something more like a Versace handbag. With design languages that are shunned by BMW loyalist, industry 'Gurus' and competitors alike. Even some say he might be on double payroll, and was sent by Mercedes Benz to sabotage BMW.

Not only such, Bangle's famous 'Flame Surfacing' requires advance new methods of sheet metal stamping that the industry at that time weren't able to play catch up, the interior as well features multi faceted surface that seems to overlap each other into play, giving the eye a feast as well as ergonomics that's a step away from the boring symmetrical designs of yesteryears.

Despite meeting heavy criticisms, BMW's directors backed Chris Bangle fully, noting this is what BMW needs to propel itself into the future, and soon after, the controversial BMW E65 7 Series was launched to the jaw dropping, eye rubbing disbelief of everyone in this world, ugly beyond comparison with headlights that angle backwards from top to bottom, a boot lid that's now famously dubbed the Bangle butt, it gave instant heart attacks to BMW loyalist, transforming the sleek, slender E38 7 Series to an ugly behemoth. However amazingly, the market loves it, and BMW begin seeing 7 Series putting up a good fight with the 'by-default' car of choice for chauffeurs - The Mercedes S-Class.

Soon after, the E65 was updated with the E66, which many calls it as Bangle's regretting act for the E65, featuring a more subtle, mainstream design change on the frontal fascia, and a rear that's more pleasing, yet overall no longer as presence commanding.

With Chris Bangle's iconic designs achieving a more balance use of concave surfacing and mainstream 'beauty'; BMW begins churning out fascinating creations such as the E60 5 Series that receives (at first) some rejections from industry journalists; but soon, sales figures that are putting E-Class to shame proofs otherwise with record sales figures and various industry awards, the Z4 that was released soon after, which was a much better rendition of the original CS1 Concept was also very well received by the car buying public. In 2006, the BMW E90 3 Series, which was the first BMW that carries Bangle's design language but penned by another person was also a great success, and was honored World Car of The Year 2006.

And by 2006, BMW for the first time, which only begin entering the luxury car segment in the 70s, overtook Mercedes Benz, a 100 year old luxury car maker as the world's largest luxury car manufacturer.

For Bangle to leave a legacy behind BMW at the peak of his career is undoubtedly a loss for BMW, yet he proved he's able to leave behind him a team that could consistently churn out wonderful designs that would continue pushing the boundaries of automotive design in BMW and his departure from the industry, will indefinitely be one that will be well remembered. In a good way.

Kudos, and god speed Chris.