BMW’s most controversial cars challenged different traditions: restrained styling, familiar body shapes, rear-wheel drive, or the idea that an electric car should look like a conventional BMW. The ten below are not all failures; some were influential or technically successful despite provoking strong disagreement.
The list spans the E65 7 Series and its “Bangle Butt” backlash, the X6’s unusual SUV-coupe formula, the front-wheel-drive 2 Series Active Tourer, and newer flashpoints such as the 4 Series grille, iX, and XM. The useful question is not simply whether a car looked wrong, but what BMW was trying to gain—and whether the result justified the disruption.
BMW’s 10 most controversial cars
| Car and period | Tradition challenged | What made it controversial |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Series E65/E66 (2001–2008) | Restrained flagship styling | The high, stepped trunk and new design language became known as “Bangle Butt.” |
| Z4 E85/E86 (2002–2008) | Soft, familiar roadster styling | Sharp creases and sculpted surfaces made the Bangle-era design debate personal. |
| 5 Series E60/E61 (2003–2010) | Conservative executive-sedan design | Complex surfacing and a more assertive shape broke with the E39’s visual continuity. |
| X6 E71 (2008–2014) | Practical SUV proportions | It paired SUV height with a sloping coupe roof and compromised utility. |
| 5 Series Gran Turismo F07 (2009–2017) | Clear separation between sedan, hatchback, and SUV | Its many packaging goals produced a tall shape critics found ungainly. |
| 2 Series Active Tourer F45/F46 (2014–2021) | BMW’s rear-wheel-drive identity | The compact MPV used a front-wheel-drive architecture. |
| i3 (2013–2022) | Conventional BMW shape and materials | Its upright form and sustainability-focused construction announced a different kind of BMW. |
| 4 Series G22 (2020–present) | Small, integrated kidney grilles | The large vertical grille became the car’s defining visual feature. |
| iX (2021–present) | Familiar BMW SUV design | The electric flagship adopted an unfamiliar face and a new-architecture identity. |
| XM G09 (2022–present) | Traditional M-car proportions and priorities | A large plug-in-hybrid SUV tested how far the M badge could stretch. |
1. BMW 7 Series E65/E66 (2001–2008): the Bangle Butt
The E65 7 Series made BMW’s design break impossible to miss. Its high, stepped trunk and sculpted surfaces departed sharply from the restrained E38 that came before it. The rear deck became so closely associated with the controversy that it acquired the nickname “Bangle Butt.”
The argument extended beyond styling: the flagship also brought a new visual language and early iDrive to BMW’s top model. The Los Angeles Times called the trunk lid “a prominent and distracting form nicknamed the Bangle Butt.” That is a critic’s description, not an objective verdict on the car. The E65 remains the clearest example of BMW accepting design backlash to make a change visible.
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2. BMW Z4 E85/E86 (2002–2008): flame surfacing on a roadster
The first-generation Z4 brought the Bangle-era debate to a smaller, more emotional car. Its sharp creases, sculpted flanks, and unusual rear treatment replaced the softer visual vocabulary of the Z3. On a roadster, there was less room to dismiss the styling as a consequence of large-car packaging: the shape itself was the statement.
The available research connects the Z4 to the controversial Bangle design period, though the strongest contemporary evidence in the dossier focuses on the E65 and the wider design era. The question it raises is whether the surfaces express the roadster’s proportions or overwhelm them.
3. BMW 5 Series E60/E61 (2003–2010): a break with safe evolution
The E60 5 Series carried BMW’s new design language into its core executive sedan. It was less universally mocked than the E65, but its complex headlamps, surfacing, and more assertive stance departed from the clean, formal look of the E39.
The controversy was not simply that some buyers disliked the shape. BMW had chosen to stop evolving the 5 Series conservatively. That decision gave the range a more distinct new identity, while leaving continuity-minded customers feeling that a familiar BMW had been replaced.
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4. BMW X6 E71 (2008–2014): the SUV coupe before it was normal
The X6 combined elevated SUV proportions with a sloping coupe roof. That meant accepting less obviously useful packaging and a less practical shape in return for a more dramatic silhouette and road presence. Critics could reasonably ask why a buyer would choose that compromise over a conventional SUV.
Top Gear’s retrospective traces the idea to BMW’s X Coupe concept and describes the company as early to the luxury SUV-coupe trend. The X6 is controversial because it made compromise part of the product proposition—and because the format later spread through the luxury market.
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5. BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo F07 (2009–2017): too many goals in one body
BMW designed the 5 Series Gran Turismo to combine 7 Series-like rear legroom, X5-like rear headroom, a sedan-like driving position, and a flexible hatchback. Its split-opening liftgate and spacious rear compartment addressed real packaging needs, but the tall profile did not look like a conventional 5 Series or a convincing SUV alternative.
Car and Driver described the proportions as setting the car apart from lower fastback rivals and concluded that it “remains ungainly and unattractive” because “the design struggles to be cohesive.” That is the publication’s judgment. The underlying controversy is clearer: the car tried to combine the roles of several established body styles, and its appearance paid the price.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsCar and Driver’s 2009 road-test specification listed 302 horsepower for the tested 5 Series Gran Turismo. That figure applies to that test specification, not every version of the model.
6. BMW 2 Series Active Tourer F45/F46 (2014–2021): front-wheel-drive heresy
The 2 Series Active Tourer challenged BMW tradition through its architecture as well as its body style. It was a compact MPV with front-wheel drive—a conspicuous departure for a brand long associated with rear-wheel-drive cars.
BMW’s technical information presented the chassis as capable of preserving agility, directional control, and sporty steering feedback. The enthusiast objection was cultural: front-wheel drive made sense for a compact family car, but seemed alien to BMW’s established identity. A specialist feature recorded reactions including “Sacrilege!” and “BMW is dead to me!” Top Gear reported that 400,000 buyers had purchased the previous-generation Active Tourer, a reminder that the format had a real audience despite the criticism.
7. BMW i3 (2013–2022): an electric BMW that looked different
The i3 made its new-mobility purpose visible. Its upright, narrow shape, contrasting lower body, unconventional cabin, and city-car proportions looked unlike the conventional BMWs that had defined the brand for many enthusiasts. Its sustainability-focused materials and construction philosophy made it an engineering statement as well as a design one.
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The i3 is best understood as controversial but important, not as a failed experiment. BMW used it to signal a distinct electric-car philosophy rather than disguising it as a conventional 3 Series. The available research confirms BMW’s emphasis on progressive design and the i sub-brand, but does not provide a sufficiently detailed primary source for construction statistics; none are included here.
8. BMW 4 Series G22 (2020–present): the grille becomes the car
The G22 4 Series made the vertically oriented kidney grille the defining element of its face. BMW’s 2019 Concept 4 announcement described the grille as a confident interpretation of an iconic feature and said the concept previewed the 4 Series design. Many observers instead saw a grille that overwhelmed the rest of the car.
That difference in interpretation is the heart of the dispute: can BMW enlarge a familiar brand cue without losing proportion, and did the 4 Series need to distinguish itself so strongly from the 3 Series? Independent reporting also noted that the 2025 facelift revised the treatment, showing that the debate continued beyond launch.
9. BMW iX (2021–present): an unfamiliar face on an electric flagship
The iX is a technology-focused electric flagship with a new architecture and a design deliberately unlike a conventional X5. BMW’s 2020 information gave an estimated EPA range of 300 miles and preliminary U.S. design information of 500 horsepower. For the xDrive50 launch specification, BMW later listed 523 horsepower and up to 391 miles of WLTP range. These are different figures for different markets, specifications, and test cycles; EPA and WLTP range estimates are not interchangeable.
Road & Track captured the split reaction in 2021: “The iX is heinous to look at, heretical to die-hards of the brand, and late to the game. It’s also fantastic.” That is a reviewer’s deliberately sharp assessment. It reflects the central tension: the iX can be functionally impressive to a reviewer while still looking unlike the BMW some traditionalists expect.
10. BMW XM G09 (2022–present): testing the limits of the M badge
The XM was an exclusive M model rather than simply an M version of an existing BMW. It pairs a twin-turbocharged V8 with a plug-in-hybrid system. BMW M’s 2022 release gave the system a combined 644 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, with production due to begin at Spartanburg in the fourth quarter of 2022.
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The argument is about more than the XM’s aggressive styling. Top Gear’s 2023 review called it BMW’s “Icarus moment” and criticized the compromises involved in trying to be both a luxury SUV and an ultimate M car. The same review gave a tested XM specification a weight of 2,710 kilograms and a 0–62 mph time of 4.3 seconds; those figures refer to the reviewed specification, not every XM. Top Gear also wrote, “The XM predisposes everyone to dislike it because it looks villainous.” That is a critic’s framing, not a measured fact.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What makes these BMWs controversial?
These cars fall into several different kinds of controversy. The E65, Z4, E60, and 4 Series challenged BMW’s visual conventions. The Active Tourer challenged the rear-wheel-drive association. The X6 and 5 Series GT tested buyers’ willingness to trade familiar practicality or proportions for new packaging ideas. The i3 and iX made electrification part of BMW’s identity, while the XM tested whether a large plug-in-hybrid SUV could embody the M name.
That distinction matters: a polarizing car is not automatically a bad car. Some of these ideas influenced later products or the wider luxury market; others remained contentious because the compromises were central to the design.
FAQ
What is the BMW Bangle Butt?
“Bangle Butt” is the nickname associated with the high, stepped trunk of the E65/E66-generation 7 Series. The Los Angeles Times used the phrase when describing the prominent rear-deck design.
Why do people hate the BMW E65 7 Series?
The E65 departed sharply from the E38’s restrained styling. Its trunk, sculpted surfaces, and early iDrive interface made BMW’s design and technology changes especially visible on its flagship. Reactions varied; the criticism is not proof that the car was a commercial failure.
Was the BMW X6 the first coupe SUV?
The dossier describes BMW as being ahead of the curve in anticipating the luxury SUV-coupe trend, tracing the X6’s idea to the X Coupe concept. It does not establish a definitive “first” claim, so it is safer to call the X6 an early, influential example.
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Why did BMW make a front-wheel-drive 2 Series?
The Active Tourer targeted compact family-car buyers with an MPV body and front-wheel-drive architecture. BMW’s technical information argued that the chassis could still deliver agility and directional control; the format also had substantial buyer demand, according to Top Gear.
Why is the BMW 4 Series grille so big?
BMW presented the Concept 4 grille as a confident interpretation of an iconic feature and said it previewed the production 4 Series face. Critics argued that its size overwhelmed the rest of the car. That disagreement about proportion is the source of the controversy.
Is the BMW iX ugly or innovative?
That is a matter of taste. BMW described the iX as a technology flagship with trailblazing design and a new architecture. Road & Track’s review expressed both the styling backlash and the car’s strengths in the same assessment.
Why is the BMW XM so controversial?
The XM combines M branding, a large SUV body, plug-in-hybrid power, and conspicuous styling. Critics such as Top Gear questioned whether it could convincingly serve as both a luxury SUV and an ultimate M car.
Which controversial BMWs are worth buying today?
That depends on the buyer, intended use, and the specific car’s condition and history. This research dossier identifies design and product controversies; it does not assess present-day prices, reliability, or individual used-car values. Research those separately before buying.
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