Well I'm a student trying to become a car designer...

[GRK]

And I FUCKIN' QUIT.

How can you top THIS: http://youtube.com/watch?v=kTYiEkQYhWY
I almost cried when I first saw this video...

 

[GRK]

Oh by the way, Chris Bangle (the guy in the video) graduated from my school. I saw some of his homework when he was a student. It seems he's always had crazy ideas

 

[crwnedblasphemy]

Well....all the body shop mechanics are crying!

 

[FourT6and2]

That is just awesome. I hope I get a job at a company that has that kind of creativity.

 

[Jordon]

My only claim to fame is that in my highschool design class, I and 4 other students participated in the (at the time) Daimler-Chrysler design competition. We won first at nationals (scholarship and such...that went to gear ) and ended up designing what was essentially an early version of the Crossfire. I even mixed the paint to a custom color, that blue-ish/silver that they used when that car first came out.

I wanted to go into designing cars, but music pulled me away from my only other talent.

 

[Chubtone]

Oh by the way, Chris Bangle (the guy in the video) graduated from my school. I saw some of his homework when he was a student. It seems he's always had crazy ideas

Cool video. I'm a member of BMWCCA (car club of America) and Chris Bangle and his designs are almost universally hated by the BMW freaks. Flame surfacing? That Z4, the first 7 series Bangle did with the "Bangle butt", the first 5 series he did before the revision almost all panned by the BMW fans and much of the press. It's funny that BMW did revisions to the Bangle designs much sooner in the models lifetimes than they have had to do historically with other designs.

All the talk in the magazines was that "Bangle better not screw up the new 3 series" because that was BMW's bread and butter and supposedly Bangle was "promoted" to oversee it's progress and not be the main designer. Whew.

So anyway as a car freak and a BMW fan I'm not impressed by Bangle's visions because they seem disjointed and lack the subtle and sophisticated beauty that BMW's have had for years. However I do see Mercedes and Acura and Lexus incorporating many of his design styles into their cars so who am I to say?

I know he went to the same school as you and he is probably a hero there because he has done so well but to the car fan on the street, the above average Joe, Bangle =

 

[GRK]

I know he went to the same school as you and he is probably a hero there because he has done so well but to the car fan on the street, the above average Joe, Bangle =

Above average Joe? From a designer stand point I think the "BMW freaks" who hate anything new are average Joe's because they are conservative and not open to new things. BMW is still doing great and the reason isn't MPG. and Bangle is still there. See where I'm getting? Ofcourse they're gonna lose some of the fans/freaks. Because they (Bangle) know how to move on.

It's been always like this with any form of art and design. Artist tries new, crowd hates it first. Then crowd loves it in a few years. But it's an old design for the artist so they try new. Doesn't go for everyone ofcourse. Some companies just keep doing the same thing over and over again (aka "don't fix what's not broken). Great if you're in it for just the money.

I know cars are a whole different story. But then THANK GOD there's people like Bangle so we don't keep seeing the same vehicle with just some panels angled differently to capture the horizon reflection a bit different each year (aka Porsche). Porsche, amazing, AMAZING cars, but I'd kill myself before I worked there. Porsche can't afford to do the drastic changes ofcourse cause they'd lose ALL the buyers unlike BMW who don't just sell to freaks/fans.

Bangle's vision = non-conservative/future.

I'd be careful with the word average Joe

 

[GRK]

My only claim to fame is that in my highschool design class, I and 4 other students participated in the (at the time) Daimler-Chrysler design competition. We won first at nationals (scholarship and such...that went to gear ) and ended up designing what was essentially an early version of the Crossfire. I even mixed the paint to a custom color, that blue-ish/silver that they used when that car first came out.

I wanted to go into designing cars, but music pulled me away from my only other talent.

I'm trying real hard to be not pulled by music man. Thing is, music will always be my 1st. But if I start doing music as a job, then there's a chance I'll hate it at some point. With car design (which I won't be doing car design I'm 99.99% sure. Can't more than won't because of how ridiculous the competition is) or any design, I'm hoping that I'll have a "cool" job but I'll come home to spend time with my favorite thing in the world (music). Best of both worlds, hopefully.

 

[Chubtone]

Why does BMW find itself scrambling after just a couple of model years to revise the cosmetics on Bangle penned cars? I know I am not going to get anywhere with you on this because this guy is the freaking messiah of your school. But he's an elitist douche who disregards anything negative that people say about his designs as them being unwilling to evolve or stuck in the past or too "conservative". He doesn't examine the option for one second that his cars are just kind of ugly and look like a bunch of idea thrown together with no flow. I don't know what to call it or the theories behind his design. That's not my job. I'm just a car freak, new and old. I don't care that his designs appeal to design students and give you something to be excited about. There are all kinds of great looking new cars coming out of all kinds of different brands design studios. I am not stuck in the past or stuck on the last model year and unwilling to move on. I just think Bangle sucks and belongs at Hyundai or Kia.

BMW fanatics are not going to be only conservative and not willing to move on. Look at it this way, these fans are already in BMW's corner. They already WANT to like the next generation of BMW's. They are pulling for BMW to do something cool. All BMW's next design has to do is not OFFEND the ones that are eagerly awaiting it's arrival. They have taken the pencil out of Bangles hands already. What's that tell you?

It's just like that headlight on the Porsche 996 that Harm Lagay the designer insisted was a necessary design element and that the old 911 fanatics couldn't handle but Porsche was moving on. Uhm... actually no Harm, the headlight is just retarded looking but thanks for the condescension and please enjoy your new job.

 

[Chubtone]

Oh and by the way if Porsche offers you a job, I'd suggest you take it.

 

[cliffc8488]

That guy comes off as an arrogant douche. And the idea is patently stupid. On a freeway at 70+ mph the stones being flung up will punch it full of holes. So how do you repair it, with a needle and thread?

 

[Chubtone]

By average Joe I mean the guy who buys a BMW because there is a blue and white Roundel on the front and he thinks this means he's arrived. Or the lawyer who buys a new 911 just because he makes partner and always wanted a Porsche and doesn't know if the engine is in the front or the back or whether it's air cooled, or a flat six and whether it has a LSD or not. I'm talking about the guy who buys a WRX because it's fast but isn't a little upset that the curb weight is so high.

I'm talking about my sister in law buying a BMW 535i because "she always wanted a 5 series" and not having a clue that the 5 series she just bought has a freaking TWIN TURBO motor in it. "Why the 535?" I asked and she responded "I didn't want the cheapest one". That is your average joe.

I am a car freak and I look at cars so closely, design wise and mechanically. I read tons of the magazines and love the spy shots and the new model previews. I don't know why Bangle considers it some sort of triumph in design history to offend car fanatics with such polarizing designs.

 

[GRK]

That guy comes off as an arrogant douche. And the idea is patently stupid. On a freeway at 70+ mph the stones being flung up will punch it full of holes. So how do you repair it, with a needle and thread?

So let me see. They spend 3094829387492837492837428 dollars on research and design and they haven't thought about that? A concept car doesn't always see the light of day but it's about "what we can do". I'm guessing they thought about what you just thought. After all, they've probably spent months/years thinking about every aspect of that concept and you just thought of it in 2 seconds. I'm GUESSING somebody asked the very same question in the design studio...

 

[GRK]

Oh and by the way if Porsche offers you a job, I'd suggest you take it.

If I was in it for the money, I would. Aside from the fact that the chance of me (or anyone in school right now) getting in Porsche is slim to none, I've met a few people who worked for Porsche and RAN AWAY after a few years. Quoting : "Money and work environment was great but I'd kill myself if I worked there for another year"

Seriously, I'd rather work for Honda, which I probably can't

Little insight on that: Back in the day 9 - 10 people graduated from Art Center transportation design. 2 got car exterior design jobs in big companies.

Right now about 40 people graduate. Number they hire hasn't changed much.

 

[Copperhead]

'78 Corvette meets Chris-Craft meets pop-up sun shade.


+

+

 

[GRK]

'78 Corvette meets Chris-Craft meets pop-up sun shade.

Just a pointer: I don't even care how that car looks. The concept is so new and cool that I can't help but love it.

This is exactly what I mean by being close minded. Sure you can look at a friggin UFO and be like : Ewww that's a horrible design. But you failed to see is that you're looking at a frigging U, F fuckin O.

 

[Chubtone]

Little insight on that: Back in the day 9 - 10 people graduated from Art Center transportation design. 2 got car exterior design jobs in big companies.

Right now about 40 people graduate. Number they hire hasn't changed much.

Holy cow! It might be easier to just become a rock star! That is a tough gig you are looking for. Good luck to you, sincerely. No wonder Bangle is so looked up to as should be any graduate who finds work in that field.

To tell you the truth I wondered about what you just talked about and was thinking there has to be SO MANY people who want that type of work and so few jobs available.

 

[GRK]

Little insight on that: Back in the day 9 - 10 people graduated from Art Center transportation design. 2 got car exterior design jobs in big companies.

Right now about 40 people graduate. Number they hire hasn't changed much.

Holy cow! It might be easier to just become a rock star! That is a tough gig you are looking for. Good luck to you, sincerely. No wonder Bangle is so looked up to as should be any graduate who finds work in that field.

To tell you the truth I wondered about what you just talked about and was thinking there has to be SO MANY people who want that type of work and so few jobs available.

Yep. It really is like becoming a rock star, lol. And it seems like all those older guys had it easier than us to be honest.

And not only that, with all internet, available sources and everything, people just get friggin great even before school. Hell, you can get a dozen DVD's on "how to draw cars" even before school. All done by Art Center graduates too, funny enough.

The other day one of my teachers did a 2 hour demo in class on rendering a car. He works for Honda. After class, one of my friends from upper term came in for next class and put his work up. It looked about 293803298 times better than teacher's two hour demo. LOL. Bottom line is, nothing changed, they still hire 2-3 people a term. But there are just so many friggin rock stars out there now

Thanks for the sympathy

 

[Chubtone]

Well I am pulling for you.

Do you have any designs you could share with us or do you have to keep that stuff under wraps for fear of it being stolen?

 

[Copperhead]

'78 Corvette meets Chris-Craft meets pop-up sun shade.

Just a pointer: I don't even care how that car looks. The concept is so new and cool that I can't help but love it.

This is exactly what I mean by being close minded. Sure you can look at a friggin UFO and be like : Ewww that's a horrible design. But you failed to see is that you're looking at a frigging U, F fuckin O.

What you fail to see is it's a P.O.S. and nobody will buy it. I so hate if the attitude if you don't like something then you're close-minded. Where do you think BMW gets the money to pay acid tripping designers to come up with a one in a million design that's marketable? By selling cars......