Here’s what the 2021 BMW 4 Series looks like with a smaller grille

Like many of you, we find the new 2021 BMW 4 Series‘ enormous grille to be repugnant and wondered what it would look like with something smaller. So, with a little time and a little Photoshop, I managed to whip up the image(s) you see above. It’s not just an 8 Series face grafted on to a 4 body — I smushed the grille vertically, which not only made it mercifully smaller but made the little hexagons and alloy trim within it less pronounced. I then widened it every so slightly cause it just looked better than way. The actual car is in the second slide above, so whattya think? Is our creation a better 4 Series?

Alternatively, as you can see in the subsequent images, I removed the European license plate from the press photos since some had wondered what the car looks like without it. Some also wondered why BMW didn’t remove the plates for those press photos. After doing this, I think the reason is because the grille and the entire front end was designed specifically with a European license plate in mind — the grille is meant to be broken up. That was the case with Audi’s original gaping maw back in the mid 2000s that similarly repulsed people. 

Of course, North American plates are different from European ones, and there are plenty of instances where German cars designed with Euro plates in mind can look a bit off when our narrow and taller plates are applied. This is usually the case at the rear, though. Either way, I popped on a variety of North American plates onto the 4 Series to see how it would look. Oh, and in case you live in Yellowknife, I included what is most definitely the best license plate for you too. 

Let us know in the comments which variation works the best:
A) Actual car
B) Smaller grille
C) Actual car without a plate
D) Actual car with a North American plate