BMW 7 Series Recent Grille Design Evolution

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The BMW 7 Series, the company's line-topping model, first entered production in 1977.  In theory, upscale sedans tend to be more conservatively styled than lesser models.  Even so, the most recent 7 Series cars have features grille designs that strike me as being excessively large.

Let's take a look.  So far as I can tell, all the images below are sourced from BMW or client agencies.

Gallery

1933 BMW 303
This is a very early example of BMW's iconic "twin nostril" grille design.  It is large, but in those days grilles were sized to cover the radiators behind them.

1939 BMW 335
By the later 1930s BMW grilles had become narrower, sized to the width of the hood.

1968 BMW 2002
An example of the classic 1960s grille design.  The "nostrils" are small and flanked by essentially rectangular openings.

1995 BMW 7 Series
The main radiator air intake for this 7 Series BMW is below the bumper.  The grille elements are now horizontal in keeping with the still-boxy body design.  A nice, dignified solution to tradition and brand identification.

2002 BMW 7 Series
A more aerodynamic body here.  The grille elements and headlight assemblies are approximately the same size.  That, and their shapes make for an awkwardness that's otherwise hard to pin down, though the amber turn indicator elements add to the shape/proportion confusion.

2009 BMW 7 Series
A cleaner solution here as the grille grows taller.  I think the bumper- lower air intake ensemble shaping is a bit too simple.  Reshaping its upper part a little to slightly wrap the bottom of the grille area would have been an improvement.

2016 BMW 7 Series
The following 7 Series generation has a busier appearance.  The grille now begins to wrap up into the hood.

2020 BMW 7 Series
The most recent 7 Series design now has a too-huge grille.  The hood-wrapping segment is solid, with faux-openings between the bars.  Some BMW SUVs also have massive "nostril" grilles that also strike me as being too large, too aggressive.

2020 BMW Concept i4
Just for fun, here is the front end of a recent electrically power concept BMW.  The "grille" is non-functional, included for brand identification purposes.  Its perimeter shape is dictated by adjacent body sculpting.  It's possible that the next (2025?) 7 Series might include such a design. UPDATE: something much like this is a feature of the forthcoming 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupé.

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