BMW 4 Series' Big Kidney Grille Probably Won’t Appear On Other Models

Today BMW pulled the cover off its long-waited 4 Series Coupe. And while the two-door boasts a new mild-hybrid powertrain and the latest and greatest in safety and technology, people can't stop talking about the car's massive dual kidney grilles. But the good news is, those openings probably won't make their way to other BMW models – at least, not yet.

We spoke with Head of BMW Design, Domagoj Dukec, who told us that the new 4 Series' so-called "vertical kidneys" are unique to this vehicle, and this vehicle alone. "Inside the company, we felt that [the vertical kidneys] was the right character for the car," Dukec notes, "and design is not always about beauty or ugliness, good design is about having a daring character."

"Customers are getting demanding because the market is saturated with good products, so you have to stand out. And as the needs of our customers are so different individually, we want to give each customer a different product."

The BMW 4 Series Coupe certainly stands out from the rest of the lineup. The front fascia of its 3 Series sibling isn't nearly as polarizing, nor is the latest 5 Series, which has a much subtler set of kidneys. And neither of those vehicles will adopt the 4's massive teeth anytime soon.

"We don't want to have any detail repeating on a model, because every model should have a unique character," he notes. "Cars like the 3 Series and 5 Series will keep more horizontal kidneys, and we really enjoy using the kidneys in different ways." But there is a small glimmer of hope for all you extra-large kidney fans out there; Dukec says "maybe there will be more vertical kidneys in the future, but right now it is currently not changing for all BMWs."

Buyers that do want bigger kidneys can pick up the 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe from dealerships beginning in October. The base 430i model wields a turbocharged 2.0-liter good 255 horsepower (190 kilowatts) and 294 pound-feet (399 newton-meters), while the M440i gets the new inline-six mild-hybrid, which is good for 382 hp (285 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 nm). The new 4 Series starts at $45,600, with the M440i asking $58,500.