BMW Design Boss 'Fine' With People Customizing New 4 Series

For the purposes of this article, let’s assume that you don’t like the grille design of the new BMW 4 Series. Of course, this is purely speculative as there’s probably no one out there who doesn’t like the new giant kidneys.

Jokes aside, if you are planning to modify the front fascia of your new 4 Series, it’s probably good to know you have the support of BMW’s head of exterior design. In a recent interview, he admitted he is fine with everyone who wants to tweak the look of their new Bavarian coupe.

“We have certain offerings at BMW – they are very expressive pieces – or you can even put on aftermarket [parts], and great wheels and stuff like this. But even if people go somewhere else and customize the car, it’s fine with me; I think it’s cool,” Christopher Weil told CarsGuide during the interview.

It’s a bit of a surprise to hear a high-ranking manager from one of the world’s leading automakers openly talking about the aftermarket scene - something most execs avoid doing as a way to promote OEM parts and accessories. But Weil seems to be fine with the tuning community.

“I like the idea of customizing – we see it in the motorcycle world, there’s a lot of customizing – and if people think ‘we can tune a car, we can make it different’ or they’re kind of styling the car to their own personality even more, of course they should do it,” he told the publication.

Still, he believes that official photos don’t tell the whole story when it comes to the look of the new 4 Series. Once people see it in person, they are quick to start liking it. After all, Weil says, pushing the limits of car design is good.