There's No Way BMWs Can Get Any Uglier
The head of the BMW Design Studio will be moving over to Rolls-Royce Design.
Domagoj Dukec has been responsible for many of BMW’s most controversial designs in recent years, including the M3 and M4, 4 Series, and the XM. His responsibilities are now split between two people: Maximilian Missoni and Oliver Heilmer.
The shift signals what could be a very new aesthetic direction for the German brand. Missoni previously worked at Polestar, where he spent six years as its head of design creating the minimal shapes the electric automaker is known for. Heilmer, meanwhile, headed Mini’s design from 2017 until now. Missoni will handle anything larger than the 5 Series, while it will be Heilmer to tackle, fittingly, smaller entry models like the X1, 2 Series, 3 Series, and more.
BMW’s interiors could see a new direction as well, with Claudia Braun now stepping into a role as head of the newly created Color and Material Design for BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce. Previously, she worked on interiors at Porsche, Rivian, and others.
Ordinarily, the inner machinations of the corporate machine aren’t of interest, but Dukec has overseen some of, in our opinion, BMW’s most grotesque looks in recent years.
The M3/4, 4 Series, among others were a bold departure from BMW norms that broadly haven’t played well in our eyes. There’s some hope on the horizon, with BMW’s excellent Neue Klasse concept for the upcoming 3 Series, and we’re hoping for an end to the era of overblown BMW design cues and proportions. What Dukec cooks up at Rolls, however, remains to be seen.
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Chase is an automotive journalist with years of experience in the industry. He writes for outlets like Edmunds and AutoGuide, among many others. When not writing, Chase is in front of the camera over at The Overrun, his YouTube channel run alongside his friend and co-host Jobe Teehan. If he's not writing reviews of the latest in cars or producing industry coverage, Chase is at home in the driver's seat of his own (usually German) sports cars.
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