BMW has been making waves for all the wrong reasons. Or, just one, actually—it’s been building awkward-looking cars with giant nostrils. However, there is light on the horizon, quite literally. I’m here to tell you that the Bavarians have turned a corner, and their new grilles have won me over. Why? Because now, they light up!
Call me juvenile, call me a philistine, I don’t care. Glowing grilles are awesome, they’re useful, and they’re exactly what the car world needs right now.
Outraged? I’m sure. Let me explain.
Here’s the thing. We’re not living in 1957 anymore. Sealed beam headlights are over, combustion’s kind of on the way out, and wallpaper hasn’t been an appropriate choice for home decor for well over half a century now. Cars aren’t supposed to look the same forever. We’re living in the gosh-darned future, and it’s high time we started acting like it!
We got a taste for this in the late nineties. Manufacturers rejoiced at the invention of the blue LED, and stuck them on every appliance in our lives. Meanwhile, the tuning scene fell in love with neons, and started the underglow craze. For a minute there, we were on the cutting edge.
But then we all went too hard with silver-this and millennium-that, and designers revolted. Everything got toned down. Culture ricocheted and backfired, and we went back to plaid shirts and punk rock, before we tripped over vaporwave and ended up spat out back into the present day.
Now, the EV transition is here and automakers want to make things look modern again. Lighting is the way to do. We have magical LEDs that put out tons of light in a tiny package for very little power usage. You can stick them on anything and behind anything and make it glow, and you can do it in all kinds of cool colors.
BMW started with its backlit “Iconic Glow” grille and it’s only gotten better since then.
Luxury automakers didn’t miss the memo. They went ham on ambient lighting for interiors, and it’s showing up in exterior design too. Mercedes-Benz started putting glowing badges on its cars, and BMW’s gone one further. It’s started illuminating grilles, and it ought to be celebrated for it.
BMW started with a backlit glow on the X6 back in 2019, and that was kind of cool. But it was the XM Concept in 2021 that really nailed the format, with the glowing outline of its snout drawing eyes from a mile away. Today, you can get the illuminated kidney grille on much of the modern BMW range, including the new X3, on which it looks particularly badass.
While the large BMW grilles can look foolish at times, they’re ultimately much less offensive when they’re glowing in the dead of night. They give the vehicle an amazing visual signature in the dark, and highlight one of the most potent pieces of BMW’s design language. Plus, they look like something out of a sci-fi movie, and I’m tired of pretending that isn’t cool.
The glowing grilles can also serve as a useful safety feature by serving as running lights, particularly during intermediate lighting periods like dawn and dusk. This isn’t critical in a world where daytime running lights are mandatory, but they certainly don’t hurt.
Now, you might hate glowing grilles. You might think they’re ugly and that they have no place on a modern BMW. But that’s okay—they’re not hurting you, and you don’t have to have one!
Meanwhile, those of us that like them will continue to enjoy them. We’ll keep driving around making “pew pew” sounds as we pretend to shoot lasers from our roadgoing starships, with the ambient lighting set to red because we’re in a dire combat situation! Okay, maybe that’s just me, but still. They’re fun.
It bears noting this isn’t even a new idea. Car companies—even the conservative ones like Ford—have been experimenting with glowing badges and similar accoutrements for decades. For a certain type of enthusiast, they make a cool car even more special.
The one criticism I have is that BMW doesn’t do a good enough job showing them off. It has a handful of pictures of glowing grilles laying around, but they’re not exactly easy to find. Sometimes, that’s the way with controversial features, but it makes it more difficult to celebrate them!
Honestly, though, that’s my take, and I stand by it. Automakers have the technology to make bits of our cars glow. It’s not expensive to do, and it can look really cool. Plus, when OEMs do it, it tends to look a lot less tacky compared to slapping on aftermarket gear from AliExpress and the like.
I’m all for more illuminated badges, more illuminated grilles, and yes, factory underglow. I’m still waiting on that last one, but it can’t be far away, right?
Image credits: BMW
My take?
I thought I was joking when I called Australia “Essex in the sun.”
Apparently I was even more right than I usually always am.
I think we’d like glowing grilles if they appeared on cars that weren’t so goddamn butt ugly—it means even at night you’re not saved from the ugly. If you want to talk grille lighting on attractive cars, the aftermarket options for the outgoing Mazda6 were pretty slick.
https://i.imgur.com/0KBpjuB.png
The lights on the Mazdas are actually unique to the Signature trim that was briefly offered. Wish they still did.
Not saying there aren’t aftermarket lights that may do the same, but the subtle dim light under the chrome trim on those is likely the factory option.
Oh very cool! I always assumed they were aftermarket since I didn’t see many of them, but having them be a top-trim option is nice as it actually signifies something.
Preach, Lewin! Anything that hastens us toward the Cyberpunk 2077 aesthetic is fine by me given that we seem to be speedrunning the environmental destruction and unrestrained corporate power.
Did not know this was a thing, but it explains the Audi ad with the entitled woman who has nothing better to do than decide on what light pattern to pick, while making her son suffer through her indecision.
It just looks tacky and hideous to me, there’s no redeeming it. BMW hasn’t made a truly good looking car since the early 2000’s.
Ehhhhhhhhh I think the Z cars are largely OK, and the 1-series and the current 2-series are OK, though the cuflrrent 2-series could use some detail clean-up, especially the front lower portion. The last-gen 5-series was fairly handsome but seemingly so few folks buy them not many folks know what they look like.
BMW and Mercedes must have hired designers that think their gaming PC is the pinnacle of design, because that is apparently what they are modeling these cars after. Especially the interiors.
I can understand putting some funky interior lighting in a Corolla or a Soul, something you are marketing to “young people” who might like the inside of their car to look like a rave.
But a $70k+ BMW? Come on. Enough with this. I’d trade customizable foot well lighting for a nice door close “thud”.
The interior ambient lighting pack would definitely fit the gaming PC description
Even the newest Alienware designs have eschewed the angles for angles’ sake and look subtle, compared to BMW’s latest.
Exactly. I had a dealer loaner recently and felt like I was on the inside of an arcade game. I much prefer the simpler instrument panel in my ’14 328. Larger screens are just fine, but not at the expense of controls that can be operated by feel. Decorative lighting on the outside is just foolish light pollution. Since the displays are software controlled, how about a configuration option. eg adult or teenager.
Personally I find that BMW has made the concept obnoxiously ugly. But if it brings joy to Lewin and others then BMW have done their jobs and I’m here for it.
Conceptually, I love it, but in its execution in BMWs I’m not a fan because they accentuate their awkward grotesquely oversized nostril grilles. The nice thing about the darkness of night is NOT having to see a modern BMW front end.
The idea merits to be developed; on that point, I get you Lewin, but those BMW grills are still just nasty, so glowing them up remains offensive, somewhat like a tribute to Daniel Noriega’s hunchmen with their cocaïna nostrils. Still better than the myriad of unibrows such as on Kias and VWs
Well that’s head canon now. They’re coke nostrils.
“Look at me, Look at me, Look at me! No, not enough, look at me MORE!!!!!!!!”
Are you being held hostage? If yes, scratch your nose. I’ll call 911.
It’s busy! Try 7-1-8
I don’t know what that is. Enlighten me?
https://www.porsche.com/usa/models/718/718-models/718-cayman/ 😉
Isn’t it being discontinued?
Good one!
Mazdas did their illuminated grilles quite sexy. And their pulsing turn lights are a lot more smooth and visually pleasing than BMW. BMWs dimming turn signals look like shit
BMWs now look vulgar. Posh, luxury but Vulgar. I would not buy a new one for the styling. I own 3 BMW as we speak they are (e28,e39,e38) so you know I am a fan no more.
I’m in for this.
A few days ago, my family took the old e38 7 series out and stopped at the ice cream stand in town for lunch. While there, a complete stranger, a gentleman in his 50s there with his wife struck up a conversation saying that he had been looking at our car and thought it was really well styled. It was boxy in the right places and had curves in the right spots was his opinion.
He had no idea it was a 23 year old car, great design transcends time, and BMW was on the top of the world with timeless design in the late 90s.
I take out my e38 about once a weel and almpst every time I will get a thumbs up from another BMW owner.
Bad take is bad
I don’t know, nostrils all aglow with cocaine residue is so 80s.
The last photo with the 7 series looks like a car version of a Mole Rat. I used to want a 7 series after watching 007 movies. Once they depreciated and I got older, they are now no longer reliable. They still look good though with the small grille, wide headlights and classic BMW styling.
The e38 7 series of the 007 Bond film is possibly the most reliable 7 series to be built. They are awesome cars and totally worth owing one. My parents have had 3 over them over the last 23 years. Aside from notoriously terrible plastic cooling system components, they are solid cars.
I was close to buying one about 8 years ago. From my research and reading I decided to pass. Of course I never drove or rode in one. If I had, I’d probably own one right now.
Mole rats, beaver teeth…….is the BMW design studio near a zoo?
Conceptually? Yeah, I mostly agree. I think some cars could really pull off having their grill silhouette outlined or backlit or whatever, but BMW? The manufacturer with arguably the worst grill designs on the market right now? No. Just no.
I’ve had a new 7 series driving behind me and I felt personally attacked that even in the dark of night I couldn’t escape it’s design, that I had this giant glowing pig nose tailgating me and I could do nothing but stare at that big dumb squiggle between the headlights. Let someone else, who can actually make something visually palatable give it a crack so I can decide if it’s a hot, new idea or a truly tacky fad.
Ok I know vaporwave is supposed to be ironic so I technically like synthwave but still, it’s the ultimate driving music for me.
There’s no better music for driving at night, preferably in the rain. Have I got the playlist for you! https://youtu.be/UoLkERVMcuY
Yes! That music rocks!
Counterpoint: no.
More detailed counterpoint: German car manufacturers haven’t figured LEDs out, especially those exposed to heat/cold and harsh driving conditions like vibration. Don’t believe me? Almost every 10 year old Mercedes, Audi and BMW have one or both DLRs yellowed out. It’s a known and common issue with the LED modules slowly burning out.
These illuminated “design features” will fail, will cost thousands to fix and owners will either choose to ignore the yellowed or burnt light or simply turn everything off.
https://youtu.be/F9BUsgURb-Y
https://www.reddit.com/r/Audi/comments/vm1lqw/drl_burnout_suddenly_both_drls_are_turning_yellow/
Etc…
If this shit was done on a 90s civic, you would all be laughing, but because BMW is doing it, we aren’t laughing?
girl, we are all most definitely laughing.
I’m laughing, it’s okay.
I’m still laughing. Saw one on the road Monday night and internally pointed and laughed like Nelson. I was driving though so I had to settle for shaking my head and chuckling at the person who said give me light up nostrils please and thank you.
“Chortling,” probably, but yes, yes we are.
Plankton! Want more plankton!
I have mixed feelings about it. I think that are other ways to add more light (in the decorative sense) to the front that will look better.
But maybe is something new that I still need to get used to it.
Although I can’t quite say I like any of BMWs styling, I do have to admit the grille lights are kinda neat. I think it opens up more opportunities to have do something creative with those massive grilles that keep popping up on everything.
If you own one, you don’t have to look at it while you’re driving the car. But I do. Just like a face tattoo.
Yeah, even worse – you have to look at the interior.