Domagoj Dukec could not be the Head of Design over at BMW. Self-described as “an emotional rationalist,” he’s now in command of design over at Rolls-Royce. However his selections and directives proceed to form notion of the BMW model right now. That received’t cease anytime quickly, both. Primarily as a result of in 2020, when the Neue Klasse began to take form, Domagoj Dukec was the person in cost. Whereas not the one who penned it — that honor goes to Anders Thøgersen — it was Dukec on the helm and Dukec that selected the maybe unorthodox option to debut a Neue Klasse idea/imaginative and prescient automotive as a sedan. In spite of everything, everybody is aware of SUVs are what’s in proper now. In Steve Saxty’s wonderful ebook BMW by Design, we eventually get a glimpse at what steered Dukec towards the Neue Klasse we’ll get to know in 2026.
Why Imaginative and prescient Neue Klasse Debuted As a Sedan
“The sedan silhouette is an emblem for BMW,” Dukec begins. “It one way or the other connects with those that say ‘We thought this wouldn’t exist anymore, as a result of vehicles have to vary. They informed us electrification and effectivity means every little thing will appear like a bar of cleaning soap,’” he continues. Which is an efficient callback to the origins of the Neue Klasse identify. In spite of everything, the automotive that arguably birthed BMW as we all know it right now additionally featured an understated, however sporty and aerodynamic, look. “We need to present…{that a} fashionable automotive could be extra environment friendly and possibly relay one thing from the ‘60s or ‘70s,” Dukec says. And in that respect, we expect it’s honest to name the Neue Klasse a design success.
On Kind and Operate
After all, BMW arguably might’ve completed one thing comparable with an SUV. However Domagoj Dukec is satisfied that the sedan design was integral to showcase the brand new design language. “The sporty, elegant, three-box sedan is one way or the other the important thing, the core thought of BMW.” For purchasers involved with the lightning-fast change rocking the automotive trade, Dukec thought it was vital to reveal that “some issues won’t ever change.” He acknowledges that the Neue Klasse’s three-box structure isn’t actually essentially the most aerodynamic. However he’s okay with that.
“Aerodynamics dictates a roof form that’s extra fluid,” Dukec begins, saying that designing Neue Klasse as a basic sedan was fairly difficult. “Due to this fact, everybody within the trade goes for a extra aero, fluid fashion that appears tremendous aerodynamic.” Look no additional than the Mannequin 3 and even the brand new C-Class for an instance. “After all, it’s extra aerodynamic,” he says, “however we need to be a distinct face within the crowd. To do this, you need to make one thing that stands out, or it is going to be simply one other one which’s been finished ten instances.”
Straight From the Supply
We predict the Neue Klasse is an efficient search for the model. At the very least a part of which will come from the influences the automotive’s designer, Anders Thøgersen drew on. “It wasn’t about muscular surfacing, however extra just like the 2002, E30, and E36 that had been pushed extra by their geometry and stance than their surfacing,” he says. We predict that’s a reasonably correct abstract of what we like about Neue Klasse. Maybe it’s the easiest way to make sure Neue Klasse joins the pantheon of iconic BMW designs.
Quotes had been borrowed instantly from Steve Saxty’s BMW by Design ebook, simply one in every of many wonderful BMW books Saxty’s penned. Get the total scoop — full with sketches, early renders, and footage — by selecting up a duplicate your self.
