You’re on a BMW fanatic website, so that you most likely know all there’s to learn about Chris Bangle. Nonetheless, you may not learn about his most up-to-date position at a newly based automotive firm. Xiaomi, the Chinese language tech large that sells smartphones and different digital units, is now promoting automobiles. The lead designer of its first mannequin – the SU7 electrical sedan – is former BMW designer Li Tianyuan who labored on the iX.

Chris Bangle is now a design marketing consultant for Xiaomi’s automotive division, serving to the newcomer form up its future EVs. In the meantime, he has already been featured in just a few promotional movies for the SU7. Xiaomi is the fourth automotive firm the controversial designer has labored for. Earlier than becoming a member of BMW because the model’s first-ever American chief of design, Bangle labored for Fiat. Earlier than that, he began his profession at Opel within the first half of the Nineteen Eighties, again when the German model was nonetheless owned by Normal Motors.

Born in Ohio, the 67-year-old designer is the person behind (pun meant) the Bangle Butt adopted initially by the 7 Sequence (E65) in 2001 with its bulbous trunk. The E63 6 Sequence Coupe additionally had an enlarged derrière, very like the E64 6 Sequence Convertible and the E60 5 Sequence Sedan. Nonetheless, these manufacturing automobiles have been all preceded by the Z9 Gran Turismo idea in 1999.

Many necessary fashions have been launched through the Bangle period, which lasted from 1992 till 2009. Earlier this week, we celebrated the 25^th anniversary of the first-generation X5 (E53), the posh SUV that went on to alter the corporate perpetually.

A few of BMW’s present designs in Domagoj Dukec’s reign are simply as polarizing, particularly those with an upright grille and/or break up headlights. Nonetheless, gross sales numbers revealed this week in america revealed demand was impressively sturdy in 2023. BMW set a brand new annual document final yr within the US by delivery 362,244 autos.

Time will present how we’ll look again at these designs 10-20 years from now.

Supply: Lei Jun / X