It's not about whether it looks good or not because it is an attractive car, the issue here is the styling. In the end I think that styling is a bit reserved because BMW want to save the eye candy details for the CS. Pretty much like how they did with the X5 and X6.

^

And like MB did with E-class & CLS.

Same platform, different cars - different purpose, different clientèle, different styling - in MB case even the design is different.

The problem is you've seen the CS concept before 7er was launched ... Therefore F01 seems so "restrained" - due to many expected BMW will launch a CS carbon copy under 7er badge.

Again: E65 styling was much more restrained the the one of F01. Although due some particular design details (boot lid & pre-FL headlights) the E65 was declared "controversial".

E65: restrained but still controversial
F01: not controversial but much more exciting, dynamic & modern

Imo, you were expecting too much since we were all told we will see some of the CS elements and not the copy of the whole damn car.

Plus, CS or 8 series or whatever will be called, is a new flagship in the whole line-up and the best of CS must be reserved for it.

But if you ask me, that little they took from CS and applied to the new 7er did a terrific job, the car looks great and just a little bit nicer front bumper will make it even better than anything in it's class.

Even if it doesn't win in looks department, there are much more important things where, i think, currently 7er leads and i hope the upcoming full tests and comparisons will confirm that.

Guys,

you're forgetting F01 was designed BEFORE CS.

So, actually CS has F01's design element not vice versa - CS is a step further, an evolution of F01 styling / design.

Mind Karim A. Habib began to work on CS Concept (4dr GT) AFTER he had finished the F01 design process involvements - way after his proposal had been chosen for the production version F01.


****

It was the same case with Z9 GT Concept, E65 & E63: Adrian van Hooydonk's proposal for the new 7er had been chosen as the winning design, and AFTER that he penned the Z9 (with some E65 elements) previewing the BMW GT coupe (first planned to be a new 8er, but later put on 5er platform & marketed as 6er), and based on this Concept the 6er was designed - by Adrian van Hooydonk, of course.

The history is repeating: K.A.H. had penned the F01, his proposal was chosen for production, and he got a task to pen a 4dr GT based on 7er - the CS Concept. And the production version will be heavily based on CS. So, the new 8er (4dr GT) is also a Karim A. Habib design!!!


****

You're confused because the Concepts were shown before the production vehicles they based on were launched.

Design time line:

This generation: 7er ... Z9 ... 6er

New generation: 7er ... CS ... 8er

It's logical the newest design is more refined, more enhanced, more evolved etc.

That is the point:managing expectations. I think expectations were wrongly set when we saw the CS.
If we take the CS out of the equation, the F01/02 is a beauty with respect to the competition.

The difference is that Mercedes gave the CLS an own name, identity and appearance with close to zero resemblance with the E-class. That is the reason why the E was never affected by the CLS because they are share no cosmetic similarities in the exterior. Looking at the X5 and X6 the X5 does look restrained because of the X6 and the same will probably happen to the 7er when the 8er arrives.

That's all the point!

What part do you not understand?

Meredes-Benz design direction seems to be missunderstood around these parts. I don`t have the time to foil out my full comments but I totally disagree with you about BMW using "organic postmodernism"

There is nothing organic about BMWs designs and never have been. (Don`t take that as a rebuke because the designs are looking better and better) The foundational design work is extremely mechanical and focused looking to begin with (and have been for more than 25-years or so .) The flaming adds modernism and freshness but this is not going to change the age factor. BMWs in general tend to age very quickly (given 2-3years IMO)

Mercedes-Benz and Audi are far less Mechanical and more organic in designwork which is why thay tend to age a little slower. Of course these are our personal opinions.

The bad part of this is that there could be no necessity of two "different" cars with the same platform. I mean, why not make X5 more agresive (new X5 frontlights look less agresive than FL old one), adding for example X6 frontlights, and not make another car with exactly the same interior, same side profile, and similar design cues.

The case of the new F01 and the future 8er is the same. If BMW launch a CS production with the badge 7er, adding a few production elements as handles, production interior and that things, i think every one would be more satified.

PD: Does Autobild say anything about FL S-CLAss interior? I think we could see more buttons on it since F01 is going that way.

I know someone said this before but the overall design of the F01 is much more bold than was the design of the E65. In the case of the E65 only the bootlid and the head lamps are not ultra conservative. The interior of the E65 was bold but only because it was in a BMM... hence, the overall design of the F01 must be regarded as a much more solid effort...