Buy the t-shirt I'm wearing in this video from www.frankstephenson.com/lost-merch/ Thanks so much for watching! Let me know what you think of the 2 series below. Do you think BMW have dug themselves out of a bit of a hole or are you adding this to the list of BMW’s latest controversies? Enjoy.

Frank's sadness for BMW is almost palpable.

"Let's move to the rear and see if it's the saving grace of this car"... Narrator: "It was not"

The previous generation of 2 Series was just perfect

Frank: "Now let's move to the rear and see if it's the saving grace of this car" Morgan Freeman: "But it wasn't the saving grace of the car..."

Frank, we appreciate the honest assessment, warts and all. Too many in your position would be unwilling to "criticize a colleague."

There is one aftermarket company currently making the front ends of BMW's look a lot less terrible..... EuroNCAP!!!!!!

BMW has somehow managed to go from a very distinct, elegant design language to making their vehicles looks completely generic. It's unreal that designers are getting paid to come up with this stuff. It's totally uninspired.

"You can't fix something like this" - Sadly sums it up perfectly.

There's so little cohesion in its design that it looks like a Grand theft auto ripoff of a BMW.

This must be what happens when BMW designers are working from home. Everyone emailed their piece and someone sent it to print.

He just gave them a $75,000 consultation. For free :). Very nice assessment of the vehicle. The BMW at Goodwood not receiving attention, reminds me of when I owned an Art gallery, watching an Artist observe the viewing area where his/her work was displayed, it’s tough to watch people bypass the work without captivation.

Most confused cardesign award goes to..

The sigh he had when he got to the rear of the car was absolutely hilarious! Oh how I do wish BMW would get its act together on design again.

"Would you say this car was designed in the dark?" Such a brutal design burn

The headlights and tails _do_ share a design cue, the DRL, it's simply upside down. (At least to _my_ eye.) Overall though, hard pass.

as a BMW owner for many years, i won't have a new bmw anymore. It breaks my heart, because i love the feeling of driving a bmw. It's a driver's car. But new design line isn't a bmw anymore

Absolutely love these films. My untrained eyes can can look at a car design and see that it looks wrong but Frank tells those eyes why it's wrong! A fabulous insight into design. Thank you.

Really a shame, the last generation was beutiful, terrible fall from grace

Excellent examination. I love how you dissect the line flow, proportions, and shapes. Cohesive design always ends aging well and even timeless if done right. I personally feel that in modern cars, the late 2000s and early 2010s had the most amount of cars with clean lines and good proportions. These days it feels like they're adding lines and creases that don't make sense just for the sake of going in a new direction. Thanks for the videos, and keep it up!!

I love these shows. This is exactly what a design critic session should be like. Constructive criticism giving a solid rational. It is not just a opinion, but a great argument pointing out the flaws. I am not an industrial designer, but hearing you is inspiring

I consider myself a BMW fan , owned several past models . But lately , specifically the current lineup just lost its image . It looks like they are trying to be Lexus . Actually , new Lexus’s looks nicer . If the design stays like this it’s the end of my loyalty to buying the next one. Well said Mr Stephenson

Yuo can really feel Frank sadness as an ex BMW designer analysing this car .

As a designer and bmw fan myself, I agree 100% with Frank's opinion. This design should have never left the drawing board. The 2 series was, in my opinion, the best looking bmw of it's generation. Now it's the other way around.

I don’t know why But the new BMW back ends tend to remind me a lot of the newer Acura’s. As I have also payed close attention to newer Mercs and Audis, the rear ends all seem to be coming to a direction where they all look so similar. I use to have an M3, my bro and RS4 and RS5 and my dad a CLK55 and SL55. We are all huge car fanatics and we discuss this stuff all the time and everyone seemed to notice the same thing. Kinda glad I got out of the M. We all drive 911s now

As an exhibition and events designer I can say that whoever chose to go for a dark purple model posed dead straight on being shown on a dark backdrop should be sacked.

The front end looks like what my attempt to copy the last gen 2 series on Automation and failing miserably.

Frank, you're spot on with your comments. I've owned several BMWs (ending with the e46), as my father did before me. The only saving grace to me is the glasshouse area. I simply don't understand how a car company with so many iconic design cues in its back catalog can go so badly wrong. The weird thing is that they are still capable - for me, the CSL Hommage was the best modern BMW, and I do see elements of that in this. Maybe they were caught off guard with the reaction to the 4 series, and they had to quickly change it just before production? That would explain some of the mismatches of the frontal area... But even then, there are so many other missteps in the design. And I get what they were trying to do in the renderings - especially around the rear wheels and tapering of the rear window above, but that was hard to get right and BMW have got that wrong on both the 4 series and 8 series, with such a huge gap between the base of the rear window and the top of the wheel arch. It makes the body look blobby and fat! Quite possibly they tested this car at the wrong design clinics, because I can't imagine the global feedback would have been anything other than bad...

Thanks Frank for translating and verbalizing what we see. Simplicity and consistency seems to be "out" in many current designs and makes me appreciate my '15 2 series that much more.

By that harsh intro alone we all know where BMW stands right now

As someone who’s been emotionally attached to BMW aswell, it has truly hurt to see the reveals of the new series this year.

Your videos and analysis are amazing Frank. I hope you don't stop posting new videos ever, I love every video you post. Thank you!

I was at the rapid festival outside of Chichester too... to be honest, for a saloon car to draw attention there.. would take something VERY special! Glad the weather held for everyone, hope you had a great time!

Owned a OG M2 and currently own a M2 CS; I was very excited for this release but after seeing a lot of footage of it, it’s a huge let-down. The M2 CS is one of the most visually comprehensive cars and it portrays a perfect visual representation of its driving character. I just don’t understand how they botched this so badly. I know I will not be buying any 2-series of this generation.

being a MINI R50 owner and fanatic, i would love too see a video on how Frank would design a new MINI these days :)

I just bought my first BMW last year and I absolutely love it. RWD in that car is such a blast to drive and those drives probably saved my sanity during the covid lockdown. ;~) I have admired the design of the 2 since they came out and now I'm so glad I didn't wait for the new body style. Your video was so spot on and made me appreciate my 2020 even more.

The design of this car left me clueless when I saw it first. It's amazing how you can point out to such a degree why I felt so puzzled. Really love your channel.

"Overdesigned" is the word I think you are looking for. :) - Seems to be a trend these days. Then again, it is cheaper to punch lines in a box, than to turn a box into a sculpture.

When KIA hired on those guys from BMW for the Stinger GT, they must have brought their design team with them.

I have seen it live a few times and it looks great! Much improved from the earlier boring design. But people complain whatever BMW does. If it's not the grille, it's something else. Like Frank does, too.

Great video. I love how Frank is able to break it down and make even a design-distant person like me understand what makes or breaks a good design. Would be very interesting to see a breakdown of the designs of the E36 - cause it seems to almost occupy a unique spot (design-wise) in BMW's lineup - and the e65/66 - cause they start looking better and better every year. Was Chris Bangle really so far ahead of his time?

Very much agreed with Frank’s analysis and comments here. This car feels unfinished at many levels such as the proportion, line works and details are all over the place. I’m even more surprised that BMW allows the design to pass into the production. Seriously, what were they thinking?

Please review your dogs design Mr Stephenson, just so we can see them

Thanks for the great content! *ANOTHER plug for a Cybertruck design analysis* :-)

Love all your videos and enjoyed this breakdown, but, for reasons I can't explain, I really like the look of this car. I would love to see it in person to find out if the confused design comes across, or if I still like it.

They went all JDM with the random design lines that mean nothing, but at least they got rid of that ghastly beaver grill.

about the headlights and rear lights, they look fairly similar if you take the rear lights and flip them upside down

Really like your point of view. Is not a “I like/I don’t like” manner, but a substantial and rational reading of a work of design as a language. Thank you very very much. Really appreciate.

So many car designers don't draw reality, they have too large a wheels, too low etc. Sketching is good for generating ideas, but the should always be added to a 3D CAD model for verification.

E46, especially in coupe form, is probably one of my favorite BMW's in my lifetime. Still had a nice big greenhouse, but with a smooth body pulled over the mechanical bits. As far as cars designed in the 90's, I think it has maintained it's grace very well.

When you take away the grill 😳🙈 … front lights are too short from the mid-point and too high up to bonnet - the front lights are meant to compliment the front grill and the sweeps of bumper section - they don’t in this case at all! The rear… 🙄

New to this channel and enjoyed this video, thank you. I drive 135i coupe (manual) and had since new (2010). I know some people don’t like the shape but I love it and love the way it drives. I am not a fan of this new 2 series however I am still looking forward to new seeing the new M2 although not overly hopeful.

I rate the kidneys are an improvement over the buck teeth we've seen on recent models. I am also satisfied with the updated interiors. I'd become accustomed to the distinct line that ran across the side profile through the door handles as well as headlights that were instantly recognizable in your rearview mirror. I like what you did with darkening the image and highlighting the area(s) you're focusing on. The scrambled lines give it an odd "surface tension" as though they tried to pull and stretch the material in every direction to cover the car. The rear looks borrowed from the BRZ

Wonderful explained and displayed! Good to have a professional that can put the feeling we have with the right words. - Great Video!

As always - and I now finally did not forget to subscribe after watching for a long time nearly all videos - the explication and the deduction of wrong lines from the possible best solution are unsurpassed on the internets. Thank You very much Sir!

As always very very interesting to see your thoughts on the design of new 2 series. Even more would be interested to hear what do you think about the design of new toyota gr86, which to some extend is a competitor for 2 series coupe, but went with an opposite approach for its exterior.

I felt the 4 series design review was quite diplomatic and conservative. I’m glad he thrown that all way and says what he wants to say now.

This is such amazingly good content honestly Frank Thank you!

I am also a BMW lover. Several new and old BMW's in the fleet. I love the new design language of the M240ix. Not much of a fan of the lesser models of the same car as they seem to lose the burliness the M240 offers. Wife has already began the order process for a Midnight Thunder version to replace her 440i GC!

Truly balanced review. Exactly what we should expect from a senior automotive designer. Wish to get your take on TESLA PLAID....

This design is all over the place. Design for design's sake. A brand that once oozed maturity is now aimed at people too young to afford it.

Interesting thoughts and grateful for your articulation of the issues. One thing that I am seeing more and more with high waistline cars is dead space between the rear wheel arch and the lower line of the greenhouse. Looks wrong to me, especially given how slender many contemporary wing panels are.

Hi Frank - absolutely love the way you walk us through automotive designs. The visuals with the elements highlighted as you speak about them are really helpful. Love your analogy of automotive design to spoken / written language - spot on! As I’ve watched the evolution of your videos, the format you’ve developed is off the charts. I wonder if BMW has been afflicted with the disease destroying Asian car design - complexity for the sake of meaningless complexity.

I was kinda tearing up when I saw the empty stand :( How did they manage to mess up so badly

Frank: I hope with their next design they won't be distancing themselves any further from what is recognizable as a classic BMW cause it could become dangerous. BMW: Yo check out this new X8 with split headlights and vertical exhausts!

Love the content Frank! Please, please, PLEASE dedicate one episode to showing your ideas for a current day Mini!🙏🏾

Hi Frank, loving your channel. I absolutely love the design of my 2015 2 series, would it be possible for you to review the 2015 model (I have an F22) as a comparison to this review? Peter

Hello Frank, I saw all your videos and it is so nice to hearing you talk about car design. I had aspirations to be transportation designer, but life took me to another path. Still I am very entustiatic. Can you please review some Aston Martins? After you picked some greatest design from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin can be good topic for the next video. I am especially interested in your opinion on ONE-77.

The guy who made the thumbnail put the sedan in it, a TOTALLY DIFFERENT car from both structure and design. Please specify you're reviewing the coupe. I almost didn't click because who cares about a FWD BMW?

Love your video Frank! I owned the last generation M2. I think that is one of the best looking M car BMW ever design, the look the proportion the line is nearly perfect. even the regular 2 series is good too. it’s just saddens me to see the new design.

After your work on the mini and the 500 a video on the new defender would be really interesting

This all makes sense now why I haven’t been excited about most of the new G-chassis vehicles! Spoken like a true artist👍

insightful as always. loved the giugiaro reference :)

2:18 without the grill it's totally a BRZ. All the body lines and features, if you showed me this car without a badge and the grill with tweaks to the greenhouse I would tell you it's 100% Japanese styling.

You’re right Prof., the drawings for the two are spectacular I love that car, what happened to the 3-D rendering what happened to the production model? Something got lost in translation‼️👌🏼

I love your assessments of every vehicle you review! BMW needs to use you again as consultant. Everything you say... I agree with!

BMW needs to start fresh with an entirely new design team. They used to be "The ultimate driving machine and now they look like they're trying to appeal to appeal to s13 different audiences. It's gotten hideous.

It's just surface noise is my new favorite sentence regarding BMW's recent designs.

Great video. Completely agree. M240i was my previous BMW - great car, easy to love. New version - main issue is the bonnet is too long for 2 series and the rest is over designed. They need to nail the interior (they have), the performance (they have) and keep the rest as evolution not revolution.

Before watching the video - "Man, I'd love to drive something like that one day. M2 is one of my favorite cars". After watching "Just dreadful. Who would want to be caught driving this monstrosity?".

Another great video as always! Actually I would love to hear your opinion on the design of Mazda 3 hatchback. In my opinion it is one of the highlight in this era of extravagant.

You are completely right, most recent bmw designes are highly questionable to me. It started more or less with the FWD 1series the front of which looks like a rat in my opinion. But to be honest Daimler isn‘t really doing a better job on their „lower budget“ cars recently.

I had never considered a BMW before because I did not care for their styling, until I saw the M240i. I went and ordered one the same day.

That’s a generous score Frank! Very diplomatic 😜

When they won’t even send a rep to staff the stand, that means someone’s gotta go. The PR boss, or the Design boss. I hope both of them get their pink slips today.

Shorten the front overhang, that would help. For a long time BMW’s in the 3 series had short from over hangs but had a elegant long-ish hood. Pushing the wheels to the edge does wonders for handling.

I can already hear the sighs, when Frank first sees the new split headlights on the upcoming 7 series and X8

Mr. Stephenson, please do a retrospective on the Edsel. It was so promising for Ford and the design seemed to be the issue that killed it. The grill also reminds me of the new M4 issues, it was not well accepted and I think if I am correct they tried to make it more traditional right at the end and it was too late.

Well, Frank, it's just par for the course for modern automotive design. Most lack flow and conservation of line. When in doubt...just add some more lines or "stuff".

It would be great to see in-person reviews of these cars, I know they’d be harder to make and perhaps longer videos but I’d be happy to sit through 20/25 minute in-person reviews.

I love you honest take as usual. I hope you try reviewing a Japanese brand next. Specifically either the new Lexus IS or their flagship the Lexus LC500. Would love to hear your thoughts on those.

Hello Frank. I've been watching since day 1 and always enjoyed your videos. Would love to hear your opinion on the entire Nissan Skyline generation. Keep up the good work. Greets from Romania

The electic BMW concept you showed a few weeks ago was utterly fantastic, Inwas hoping they could incorporate the round headlights and a small kidney grill but retain the muscular shape. The simpliicity of the Honda E shows how a clean uncluttered design can still turn heads.

It seems that the board are betting blindly in a lot of questionable things, even in their communication. Any moment they will have to rethink all of this and do some transformation.

I remember drooling over an E36 M3 in Midnight-Violet in the BMW showroom in the 90‘s. And I remember first seeing an Alpina 850 in person around that time - that was the golden era of BMW… 😢

When you mentioned that you need to keep evolving the design it reminded me of the "LADA - perfect from the beginning" meme. It would be fun to see a design review of the Lada 2105 :)

The rear of this car is as UNCOHESIVE as that new Toyota Supra's rear end! Employ Giorgetto Giugiaro to produce beautiful BMW's once more! That early 2002 tii was sublime and looks even more so now. Another enjoyable synopsis Frank - thank you.

It's strange how the BMW M4 has everything good looking except the grille, but on the 2 series, the grille is the only thing that looks decent. The rest isn't necessary bad, but it's "Meh".. I do like the greenhouse and especially the doorhandles though. Flipup doorhandles are the best! I think I'd rather be seen in this 2 series than an M4 though!

Hey Frank! Huge fan here. I grew up in the first ever BMW X5 which you designed! I'm so lucky drive a M2 competition currently. I think the F87 is going to be the last good looking BMW M2.

Thank you Frank for doing these critiques. As a BMW fan and driver, I'm losing hope that they'll turn the ship around. They had such a strong legacy of icons to choose from when designing their new vehicles..