BMW's Chris Bangle sucks it up and gladly endures the incessant ruthless criticism

The Autoweek profile of one C. Bangle reveals BMW's controversial design chief as a laid-back, affable guy. He discusses the arrival of BMW's new brand designer, Adrian Van Hooydonk. He is apparently not intent on destroying BMW with his futuristic, "flame-surfaced" monstrosities. His most recent design is the small, forward-looking 1-series, a car he says contains proportions not seen before, anywhere. It is not designed to compete with BMW's own Mini brand, although it probably will anyway. Bangle's most-hated work is the 7-series, which features the now-famous "Bangle butt." The 7-series will be physically altered quite soon, although Bangle says this is not being done as a response to the sheer vitriol the car has elicited.