{"id":1928986,"date":"2026-05-11T09:12:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T06:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1928986"},"modified":"2026-05-11T09:12:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T06:12:09","slug":"the-end-of-ugly-meet-bmws-classy-new-design-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1928986","title":{"rendered":"The end of ugly: meet BMW\u2019s classy new design direction"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"articleItem\">\n<p>    {&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Article&#8221;,&#8221;image&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-5.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;mainEntityOfPage&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;WebPage&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/industry-news\/bmw\/end-of-ugly-design-2026\/&#8221;},&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/industry-news\/bmw\/end-of-ugly-design-2026\/&#8221;,&#8221;author&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Piers Ward&#8221;,&#8221;description&#8221;:&#8221;Piers Ward is the deputy editor of CAR magazine and orchestrates the magic that happens on its pages each month. From writing features and first drives to instigating daft ideas and organising outlandish photo shoots, Piers is involved in every stage of the magazine cycle.u00A0u00A0nA 25-year veteran of the UK publishing scene and a road tester for a significant chunk of that, Piers has written for most of the outlets that matter u2013 including stints on Autocar, BBC TopGear and Auto Express, as well as jobs working for external agencies.nCareer highlights include importing half a dozen cars into China for an Awards shoot and being the first journalist in the world not to stall Sebastian Loebu2019s C4 WRC car. It must have been all the practice heu2019d had learning to drive in a Lada Riva.nWhen not wielding a keyboard, Piers can often be found scanning the classifieds for his next car purchase or getting behind the wheel of historic racers. He can be found on Twitter (sorry, X), Instagram and LinkedIn.&#8221;,&#8221;image&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/166305\/piers_ward.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;caption&#8221;:&#8221;Piers Ward&#8221;},&#8221;sameAs&#8221;:[&#8220;https:\/\/x.com\/piers_ward&#8221;,&#8221;https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/pierswardmedia\/&#8221;],&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/piers-ward\/&#8221;,&#8221;jobTitle&#8221;:&#8221;Deputy editor&#8221;,&#8221;worksFor&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Organization&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;CAR&#8221;}},&#8221;dateModified&#8221;:&#8221;2026-05-11T10:12:09+01:00&#8243;,&#8221;datePublished&#8221;:&#8221;2026-05-11T10:12:09+01:00&#8243;,&#8221;headline&#8221;:&#8221;The end of ugly: meet BMWu2019s classy new design direction&#8221;,&#8221;publisher&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Organization&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Bauer Media&#8221;,&#8221;brand&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Organization&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Car Magazine&#8221;},&#8221;logo&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/logos\/car.200&#215;88.png&#8221;}}}<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"column xlarge-10 xlarge-push-2\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe end of ugly: meet BMW\u2019s classy new design direction<\/h1>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<div class=\"hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"compact-author-info\">\n\tBy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/piers-ward\/\">Piers Ward<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"dates\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dates__date\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPublished: Today 10:12<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"cms-content\">\n<div class=\"in-page-gallery full-width thumbnails-bullets\">\n<ul class=\"carousel\" data-orbit=\"true\" data-options=\"bullets: true; resume_on_mouseout: false; timer: false; variable_height: true; slide_number: false\">\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-5.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Side view of the BMWi3 on the road\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/480x270\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-5.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/720x405\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-5.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/1056x594\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-5.jpg, (large)]\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption orbit-caption\">\n<div>Side view of the BMWi3 on the road<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Back side view of the BMWi3 on the road\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/480x270\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-1.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/720x405\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-1.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/1056x594\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-1.jpg, (large)]\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption orbit-caption\">\n<div>Back side view of the BMWi3 on the road<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Rear of the BMWi3 on the road\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/480x270\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-2.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/720x405\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-2.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/1056x594\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-2.jpg, (large)]\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption orbit-caption\">\n<div>Rear of the BMWi3 on the road<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-3.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Front view of the BMWi3 on the road\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/480x270\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-3.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/720x405\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-3.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/1056x594\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-3.jpg, (large)]\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption orbit-caption\">\n<div>Front view of the BMWi3 on the road<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-4.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"Front side view of the BMWi3 on the road\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/480x270\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-4.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/720x405\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-4.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/1056x594\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-4.jpg, (large)]\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption orbit-caption\">\n<div>Front side view of the BMWi3 on the road<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"articleContent\">\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-reviews\/bmw\/i3\/\" title=\"View all BMW i3 Reviews\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"info-link\"> View all BMW i3 Reviews<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"bold-links\">\n<p><strong>\u25ba What\u2019s next for Munich? <br \/><strong>\u25ba How its design ethos has changed<\/strong><br \/><strong>\u25ba\u00a0<\/strong>And what that means for the product<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Adrian van Hooydonk is looking relaxed. This is not surprising, as the senior vice president of BMW Group design has just witnessed 4000 employees whoop with the giddiness of a Taylor Swift audience. The cause? The new i3 electric saloon has just been unveiled. The car\u2019s reception \u2013 in the building and around the world \u2013 has been overwhelmingly positive. It\u2019s a moment for van Hooydonk to bask in the glow of a job well done.<\/p>\n<p>Given some of BMW\u2019s recent design offerings, and the reaction to them, the enthusiasm wouldn\u2019t have been taken for granted. Couple that with the i3 being heartland BMW \u2013 no single model means as much to a car company, save possibly for VW and the Golf \u2013 and the unveil was not without risk. Fortunately, the consensus both within and without BMW has been that the i3 moves the game on without alienating the faithful.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject show-for-medium-up hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>Like this? Get more CAR delivered to your browser!\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=carmagazine.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em><strong>Click here to add CAR Magazine as a preferred source on Google<\/strong><\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/480x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-4.jpg?scale=down\" alt=\"Front side view of the BMWi3 on the road\" class=\"wp-image-261725\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/480x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-4.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/720x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-4.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/1040x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-4.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t always like this. Back in 2021, I spoke to van Hooydonk and Domagoj Dukec, then design director at BMW and now in the equivalent role at Rolls-Royce, when they were justifying the enormous kidney grilles that were \u2018in\u2019. Both acknowledged the social media pile-on was brutal, but also felt their decisions were correct; BMW needed to distinguish itself. As Dukec said back then, \u2018It\u2019s not our goal to please everyone in the world, but you have to please your customers.\u2019<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>They had a point \u2013 sales grew \u2013 but it must have been galling to be constantly justifying your design. With the i3, van Hooydonk simply has to explain it.<\/p>\n<p>This Neue Klasse moment is significant in all sorts of ways. It\u2019s part of a wider design reset within BMW, where the brand is aiming for smoother proportions and cleaner lines across the board, with less snouty kidney grilles. The past is important, but the future will be more harmonious, with fewer outliers. \u2018Each of the cars will still have its own distinct character but everything is somewhat cleaner, definitely a lot more modern,\u2019 explains van Hooydonk.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject show-for-medium-up hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/480x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-2.jpg?scale=down\" alt=\"Rear of the BMWi3 on the road\" class=\"wp-image-261723\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/480x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-2.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/720x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-2.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/1040x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-2.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>He reckons BMW \u2018has fans, not customers\u2019 who are open to change; the brand can deliver bolder designs but mustn\u2019t fail to bring the base along for the journey. \u2018It doesn\u2019t help us if everybody buys a car now and then in two years it\u2019s over.\u2019 It\u2019s the reason for the rigorous mantra that BMWs must always be driver\u2019s cars \u2013 \u2018especially with a 3-series [we must show] it\u2019s going to be fun to drive, even when it\u2019s parked.\u2019 Emotion is key, something BMW feels has been lost with some brands.<\/p>\n<p>As van Hooydonk explains, \u2018We\u2019ve seen other companies do modern design but often the emotion was lacking. It became a tool but it didn\u2019t really speak to you. For us, it\u2019s very important the car gives you good feedback when you drive it and is also really good to operate.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Not that the new era isn\u2019t without its challenges. From certain angles the i3 looks awkward, particularly front-on, where the need to pass pedestrian impact tests has had a shaping influence. Or the car\u2019s additional height compared to the previous 3-series, caused by the skateboard battery.<\/p>\n<p>And there\u2019s the legacy of the recent past to flush out; the facelifted 7-series was already too far down the line to get the new treatment. Having seen it in the flesh, it\u2019s still not a looker.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject show-for-medium-up hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>While Dukec has been moved to Rolls-Royce, Oliver Heilmer and Max Missoni are now at BMW. Heilmer takes care of everything up to 3-series, and M models, while Missoni works on 5 and up, plus Alpina.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/480x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-3.jpg?scale=down\" alt=\"Front view of the BMWi3 on the road\" class=\"wp-image-261724\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/480x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-3.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/720x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-3.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/1040x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-3.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>Missoni is famed for his Scandi-chic work at Polestar, which was all about smooth proportions and effortless lines. He should bring some welcome tightness to BMW, which, like the other big two German brands, has let itself get flabby recently. As van Hooydonk explains, \u2018that is why we chose to go after him\u2026 the only person I was really interested in was Max Missoni, based on what I saw. He is a great addition to our team.\u2019<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>How they all rub along will be interesting. When I ask van Hooydonk if they\u2019re like Lewis and Nico, he smiles. \u2018All designers are competitive. I have 700 of them and they all want to win the next project. Ambition is never a bad thing in a BMW context.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Missoni has clear ideas and a tight focus on what he needs to do: \u2018If you have to explain design, it\u2019s failed.\u2019 The dynamic between M and newly-integrated Alpina is fascinating, with Missoni promising that the two can easily co-exist. \u2018I\u2019m excited about this. It hurts a little to see people that still wonder whether there\u2019s even room for these two [brands] alongside each other. We have already defined these nicely. There is a real space for both.\u2019<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject show-for-medium-up hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>None of them will have it easy in these turbulent times. Missoni thinks designers can offer clarity. \u2018The legacy brands are navigating very foggy waters. You can\u2019t just keep doing the same thing incrementally. Designers have been trained to sense what\u2019s coming.\u2019<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/480x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-1.jpg?scale=down\" alt=\"Back side view of the BMWi3 on the road\" class=\"wp-image-261722\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/480x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-1.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/720x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-1.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/1040x0\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-1.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>In the past, data was key \u2013 but studying past numbers and simply projecting forward no longer works. \u2018Now, there are 15 different pathways to follow. I think that\u2019s where designers can really add value, given they have broader touch points within the company.\u2019 Van Hooydonk echoes this, talking of having good relationships throughout BMW.<\/p>\n<p>Sitting across the table from both, it feels like a more harmonious set-up now, a sense of a clearer direction. Van Hooydonk is clear that a BMW \u2018must fit a customer\u2019s lifestyle. We should connect to the lives they want to lead, rather than tell them how to lead it.\u2019 High tech, but \u2018not like driving a computer.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<aside class=\"about-author\">\n<h2 class=\"about-author-heading\">About the author<\/h2>\n<div class=\"about-author-inner\">\n<div class=\"main-author-summary-container\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"main-author-image\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/piers-ward\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/166305\/120x120\/piers_ward.jpg?quality=90)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"main-author-name-container\">\n<div class=\"main-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/piers-ward\/\">Piers Ward<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"main-author-job-title\">Deputy editor<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"main-author-byline\">CAR magazine&#8217;s deputy editor has a penchant for automotive adventure and trading in quirky, often-unreliable old cars. A veteran of CAR magazine, Autocar, Top Gear and Auto Express, Piers has probably driven it, written it and reviewed it before most.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"column show-for-xlarge-up xlarge-2 xlarge-pull-10\">\n<figure class=\"author-info clearfix\">\n<p>\t\t\t<a class=\"author-image\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/piers-ward\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/166305\/85x85\/piers_ward.jpg?quality=90)\"><\/a><figcaption>\n<p class=\"author-name\">\n\t\t\tBy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/piers-ward\/\">Piers Ward<\/a>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"author-quote\">CAR&#8217;s deputy editor, word wrangler, historic racer<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"column xlarge-10 xlarge-push-2 disqus\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a id=\"commentsExpander\" 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data-elem=\"close\"><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>{&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Article&#8221;,&#8221;image&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/261711\/end_of_ugly_design_2026-5.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;mainEntityOfPage&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;WebPage&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/industry-news\/bmw\/end-of-ugly-design-2026\/&#8221;},&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/industry-news\/bmw\/end-of-ugly-design-2026\/&#8221;,&#8221;author&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Piers Ward&#8221;,&#8221;description&#8221;:&#8221;Piers Ward is the deputy editor of CAR magazine and orchestrates the magic that happens on its pages each month. From writing features and first drives to instigating daft ideas and organising outlandish photo shoots, Piers is involved in every stage of the magazine cycle.u00A0u00A0nA 25-year veteran of the UK publishing scene and a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[239,226],"class_list":["post-1928986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-carmagazine-co-uk","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1928986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1928986"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1928986\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1928986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1928986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1928986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}