If BMW Is The Ultimate, WHY Are Most New Auto Designs Mimicking Audi's?

There's quite a difference between allegedly being 'The Ultimate Driving Machine' and designing the best looking cars.

Better watch that selective editing there 001.

and I guess you forgot that Kia's design chief once worked for Audi.

And VW.

But it's NOT just Kia, MANY companies are copying them.

001

'cause Audi has the design the majority of the public wants

BMW never has a unique appearance that someone wants to copy from. They are good in handling and driving experience but they are not ultimate.
Also many manufacturers are copying from each other. The Japanese are the experts on this. However they are smart and never 100% clone the idea. Hyundai used to copy MB W203 headlight in Sonata. Now Kia directly clones Audi brkae light style. What it really surprises me is that Kia 100% clones such a unique design from Audi.

agree with your first paragraph. also agree with Nostradamus above

Audi is the benchmark, especially for interiors. And don't forget pioneering LED running lights.

Audis are attractive (both inside and out) and BMWs are dynamically at the cutting edge. Any company that can look like an Audi, handle and drive like a BMW, and feel as solid as a Mercedes will be perfect.

Actually

Audis now have the Crown for Solid Feeling Vehicles.

KIA copies off alot of manufacturers..the tail pipes in the photo resemble a Lexus/ some new BMW's, tail lights look like a vw product, and the head lights on some kias look like a Honda.

BMW still makes the ultimate driving machine, especially when compared to MB and Audi.

Which car from BMW, MB , Lexus ,Infinity or Jaguar looks like an AUDI? Please elaborate! By the way the chief designer at Kia is from AUDI hence the AUDI/VWesche interiors found in Kia cars.

I know that the new Kia designer is from Audi but is not a reason to start to build Audi design with kia name I hope this is not legal as I see world is changing everyday. Now China is going to build Volvo so...

BMWs don't look like Audis however, if you look at the interiors of the new BMWs you can see they are taking cues from Audi, mostly in the details. The metal edge on the wood trim for example is something BMW and many others are copying now.

Give Audi credit for LED lights too. Almost everybody copying their LEDs. I love the design of S5, R8 and Q5. Audi need to work on their sedans. Maybe making them look different and not small or big versions of one design would help.

JUGNU

And the last Jetta copied the Corolla's tail, the last Maxima copied the last GS's tail, the XF copied the GS's profile, the SLS copied the G35 headlights, tons of cars copied the Altezza lights, and the list goes on. So what's the big deal?

People just want something to bitch about how 'their brand' is superior to another so they resort to name calling and complaining about 'stolen designs'.

Some people said about to give credit to Kia for this design. I say not they have nothing for me.All they are doing is what they know how to do it right copy and paste. If you see the lateral angle of the tail lights is from New Mercedes E class and the posterior part from Audi with the interior led design included almost because the Audi tail light are more sophisticate that this one lol, the truck is also Audi , the badge Kia is located at the center like Mercedes,BMW and Audi even the other badge is the same type of letter Audi use like A4 now they put I don't know what?? this is not funny for me and I really hate this. Well they also have years before an SUV model from them the bigger one that they put almost a BMW grille and even the bagde is round like a BMW but with their wierd simbol. This is to much but my questions is THIS IS LEGAL even the tail pipes from Lexus they choose and select from all originals prestige brands. This is theirs formula to copy cars. No credit no nothing for me.

No the Kia HOMEWORK is getting harder with the New Mercedes generation specially the new CLS design to copy lol lol and the new Audi headlight technology and design even the new Audi interior is a dream come true so COPY but COPY fast lol lol. German cars always have something special to show but they keep it hide lol....

As a BMW fan, it is tough but inevitable to admit that Audi just understands body design better than their rivals at the moment. Their designs are slick and "balanced". When Audi readies a new design, you can bet it won't be ugly; it may look similar to what they already have, but it won't be ugly. With BMW & Mercedes, you wait with bated breath and hope the end result won't be an overwrought mess (both companies' biggest design flaws at the moment is the obsession to mess with every aspect of sheet metal, versus Audi/VW's style of letting a few key lines convey the design message).

Rather ironic, but save for the obvious cues like kidney grille and Hoffmeister kink, previous BMW designs like the E36 actually follow a closer design language to modern Audis than modern BMWs.

Well said dotuno.

What company/models are mimicking audi's? seriously...

check the mercedes cls and the new lexus is for that matter. tell me where the idea for their headlights came from.

Those are ugly headlights. I'm not sure where they got the design from, but it certainly wasn't audi.

Hyundai use to copy everyone and their mothers!

for the last 4-5 years audis designs have completely trend setting. the led craze that followed the r8's release is a bit disgusting, but the automaking buisiness is a copy cat industry so its not much of a surprise.

".All they are doing is what they know how to do it right copy and paste."

Oh really? What about the Ford 500's greenhouse coming from the A6's isn't that copying and pasting? What about the TUNDRA AND LANCER? What about the Honda CR-Z looking like the VW Iroc concept? What about the Acura MDX'S TAILIGTHS? What about the Honda Civic's tailights? Don't get me started because all BMW'S TAILIGHTS ARE IS reversed AUDIS.

Clicking and pasting huh? What about the Mazdea 5's face coming from the Toyota Sienna's face? what about the Mazda Tribute's headlights coming from the Ridgeline's? What about the Chevy Treverse's tailights coming from the Infinti FX's? The Infinti EX is nothing but the Mazda 3's greenhosue just like the Vibe, Campass and the Rav-4. Clicking and pasting?

SUV'S WITH SAME SIMULAR SIDE PROFILES: Honda Passport, Chevy Blazer, GMCE ACCADIA, Toyota 4Runner, Iszuzu Rodeo, 2005 Honda CR-V, Ford Freestyle, Ford Escape, Buick Rendevous, 2012 Ford Explorer, 1st generation Lexus RX, 1st generation Acura MDX, 1st generation Chevy Equonix, 2nd generation Chevy Equoniox, Mercedes M class, 1st generation Saturn Vue, Mazda Tribute but only the 2003 Kia Sorento was copying?

2011 Chevy Cruze's greenhouse came from the 2006 Honda Sonata's. Ford 500's tailights came from the Pontiac Grand Prix. Someone tell me I'm wrong. I want somemone to tell me the Pilots backend didn't come from the Scion XB's. I want someone to tell me the Chevy Malibu's headlights didn't come from the Mercedes C class. I want someont to tell me the Tundra, Iroc and Lancer don't look alike. I want someone to tell me that 2009 Ford Focus' headlights didn't come from the 2008 Nissan Quest's headlights.

The Lincoln MKZ looks like the 2006 Hyundai Sonata's greenhouse. The Smart's tailigths came from the HHR's. Pontiac G6's tailights came from the Scion TC's. Pontiac G8's greenhouse came from the 2005 Nissan Altima's. 2010 Ford Taurus' face came from the 1999 Nissan Altima's. The Honda Accords' backend is a click and paste from the 2007 Nissan Altima's. Just like the Subauru Legacy's headlights copied the Infinti G sedan's. I'm not done yet.

Accord Coupe's tailights copied the Audi A6's.

Nissan Leaf, Honda CR-V, Lancer Hatch, Saab all have the click and paste of the tailights but only the Cee'd SW is the copy cat. How you going to talk about Hyundai and Kia copying when everyone else is? Huh? What you need a car to have a Hyundai or Kia badge on it just so you can see that Lancer copied AUDI?

BMWs don't look like Audis however, if you look at the interiors of the new BMWs you can see they are taking cues from Audi, mostly in the details. The metal edge on the wood trim for example is something BMW and many others are copying now.

BMW'S DON'T LIKE LIKE AUDIS!!!! Sure it doesn't the tailgiths on the BMW, Mitsubishi Dymanite and the Chvey Mailubu' tailights arent' upside down Audi's.

You trying to test me justaCar? dON'T MESS WHAT ME I can get cars you never thought in your life looked aliked. Like the 2007 Camry's talights comeming from the 1980 something Chevy Capriece.

Saturn Ion, 1st generation Dodge Neon, Mazda 3 sedan and Nissan Sentra hint greenhouse.

The Nissan Versa's tailigths copied the Rio 5's tailights.

Who else wants to mess with me? Who thinks the GMC Accadia is oringal? Who thinks the next Chevy Aveo is original and doesn't look like the Tundra, VW Iroc concept, Honda CR-Z and the Lancer? Who else wants to challenge me?

I can get cars from Acura to Volvoo or are you guys just going to keep quiet like I posted on Edmunds, Leftlane, Motortrend, Kia-world and Autoblog? Who thinks the Nissan Leaf doesn't look like the insight and Prius? Who thinks the Chrysler 300 is original?

The back of that Kia looks like a Lexus IS with the bottom of the red light indented slightly, and because the Chief designer is from Audi, they add tshe LED lights at the back...

Lexus had the worlds first full LED headlights.. which no-one else has done..

the grille came from the Auto Unions (AUDI) of the 30's

http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/Auto-Union/1939_autoUnion_racer_04.jpg

and VTB jtz7!!

yeah French car 1937

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MHV_P%26L_Dynamic_1937_02.jpg

and I'm sure there are other cars that did it earlier..

"The back of that Kia looks like a Lexus IS with the bottom of the red light indented slightly, and because the Chief designer is from Audi, they add tshe LED lights at the back"

Where? I don't see the Lancer's backend. It's funny, the K5 and K7 come out stylsih and all of a sudden they get accused of looking like th Lexus IS. If the Lancer was by Kia, people would have said, "It looks like a Lexus IS," But since its not by Kia and Mitsubishi designed it, people are going to act like its original.

ALL the Infinti G sedan's tailights are is AUDI it just upside down like BMW. The 2005 Lexus GX and the 2003 Honda CR-V have the same face.

So lets see, all these cars been copying this entire time but all of a sudden its a problem becuase Kia is doing it too. Sure ignore Toyota, Honda, Chevy, Ford, Chrysler, Suzuki, Isuzu, Nissan and others. Treat them like they are 100% original. With me and huu76,aaron and mpls we just listed damn near 100 cars that are not original but the people who hate Hyundai don't see that. And so what if Lexus had LEDs first, you didn't seem to have a problem with it when Audi used them, but now that Kia is using them you want to bring it up.

Who else wants to challenge me? Who else wants to try and make me looks stupid by disagreeing with me that the Tundra, Lancer and VW Iroc doesn't look alike? Who else wants to tell me that the 2nd Acura MDX's tailights doesn't look like the A4's. When the 2006 Civic got the GTO's headlights it wasn't a problem but when the Forte got those headlights, oh it was a problem.

So what's going to happen now going to get all quiet on me like the other blogs with people who accused Hyundai/Kia of only copying and no one else? Up until JTZ came along huh? Don't like that huh?

Probably a hell of a lot easier to copy some of Audi's design cues than to try to emulate BMW's handling and performance.

What you mean it's easier to copy Audi than BMW. The 10' LaCoss has BMW's tailights. The 09' Accord and 09' Legacy has BMW's greenhouse. And BMW's signature tailights are just upside down Audi tailights. And besides, the Mitsubishi Dymanite and Malibu also has BMW's tailights. So what you mean easier?

BMW's so called upside down Audi tail lights have been out long before Audi ever came up with the right side up BMW tail lights. Look at the 5 and 76 series from the late 80' (e32 and e34 bodies)So I guess BMW knew Audi would come up with an inverted design 10 years later and decided to come up with an upside down version of them way back in the 80's 10 years before Audi ever came out with their design. Right.

And Toyota, Honda have been known to purchase BMWs to take back to their R&D for revearse engineering ( I know you were relating back to Hyundai).

Oh yeah and AgenOrange BMW didn't just have perfect handling and performance over night they had to do some reverse engineering. Put it this way, Microsoft and Sony copied the Wii.

I would tell you why, but I came in to late and missed the information bus.

jtz7 - take a break. your getting worked up over nothing. no one's challenging you cause they've got better things to do....we all get it. every manufacturer pilfers designs from others....who cares.

maybe Audi wuz d pioneer of led's and drl's but does anyone know that Hyundai/Kia are the pioneers of 2nd generation led running lights that dont reveal the small led bulbs....dats wat they've used 4 d cadenza...and does anyone know that Kia is the pioneer of the interior design concept they call "harmony of chrome and light" which are a set of chrome inserts in the interior of the cadenza dat emitt kia's signature red light at night..isnt Kia the 1st auto company to use mood lighting in its cars??...and correct me if i am wrong but is there any car company that uses alloy wheels with blackout inserts...NO THERE ISN"T...Kia also uses the proximity technology dat automatically unfolds the cars mirrors...and lastly doesn't anyone find the use of materials such as piano black inserts(cadenza),Carbon fibre inserts(new optima nd sorento)and suede headliners(cadenza) unique to kia??...well if anyone doesnt consider all these then you simply hate kia and really have no excuse 4 hating...

Hey huu76 you may not think the K7's interior is all that but let me ask you something. All BMW models have the same interior same for Audi and the New Buicks. Infact even the 11' Aveo and Cruze have the same interior. How about having a designer be responsible for 8 different models from the same manufacturer yet thinking totally different when making each interior. Does the K7's interior look like the Sorento's? does the K5's interior look like the Forte's? Does the Venga and Soul have the same looking interior? How about the Sportage does that CUV have the same looking interior like the Sorento's? That is more difficult to do unliek what Buick's interiors and BMW and Audi.

And what you mean give it a break Chief4? When the 2004 Hyundai Sonata arrived and people kept saying it looked like a Mercedes, did you tell them to give it a break? When the 2003 Kia Sorento arrived and people talked about it looking like 25 other SUVs with Slanted C pillars did you tell them to give it a break? When the 2004 Kia Amanti arrived and people acted like the Chrysler 300 was orignal did you tell them to give it a break? Why should I give it a break. Whenever I see a commet about Hyundai and Kia ONLY copying, I'm putting all cars on the kitchen table.

When the Chevy Volt goes on sale and other manufactuers purchase it for revearse engineering to copy its technology people will pretend that the Chevy Volt's new rivals will be orignal but if Hyundai and Kia does it people will say, Hyundai and Kia copied GM's new technolgy and ignroing the fact that Toyota, Honda and Nissan has plans to purchase the Volt for their R&D as well.

I'm putting everyone on the kitchen table. I must have made a some people made enough to have my volt at negative. Will I don't give a damn. Give me a -100 for my votes it ain't going to change the fact that the Ford 500's talights copied the Pontiac Grand Prix's.

My votes are at negative because I put cars from Acura to Volvoo's designs on the kitchen table if I had been like everyone else and said, "Hyundai and Kia, are always copying," my votes would have been a positive.

Check out these sedans headlightss: 2005 Lexus LS, 2003 Infinti Q, 2003 Suzuki Verona, 2005 Caddlic Deville but only the 2006.5 Kia Optima was the copycat.

I remember when the 2003 Kia Sorento first arrived people said the tailights copied the 1st generation Highlander but ignoring the fact that the 2nd generation Saturn Vue's tailights is a copy of the 2003 Kia Sorento.

Faclifted Ford Fusion and 2009 Subaru Impreza hint tailights. Also the 2005 Toyota Matrix's roofline came from the 2002 Subaru Outback hatch. The Ford Edge's tailights copied the 2002 Subaru Lagacy's. If Kia had these cues from Subaru people would say, Kia copies everyone but ignoring the fact that the 2009 Fusion's tailights copied Subaru.

Also, the Tribeca copied the Nissan Murano but only the Tucson got critizied for copying the Murano. If the Tribeca was by Hyundai people would say,"Hyundai is always copying," ignoring the fact that the Tribeca's greenhouse copied the Muano as well. Matter of fact, Chrylser had made a CUV that also copied the Murano I can't remember the name though.

the Tribeca looks nothing like the murano

2010 Mitsubishi Galant copied the Lexus ES's tailights. If it was a Kia Galant people would say, "Kia is always copying," ignorning the fact that the Mitsubishi copied too.

I'm glad Hyundai did't make the Iflow look like the three triplets Prius, insighht and leaf. If Hyundai's I flow did look like the Prius, Insight and leaf, people would say,"Hyundai copied the Prius," ignoring the fact that the Honda and Nissan copied it too.

I saw the Kia Pop, I just know people want to say it looks like a Smart and ignoring the fact that the Toyota IQ and Scion copied it.

Cars with exterior mirrors that stick out, Prius, Insight, leaf, Lexus, Civic, There's more about 15 other cars with mirrors that stick out like Lexus and some Mercedes but only the Kia Rondo was the copycat.

Jaguar's new sedan has the same greenhouse from the Ford 500 and Audi A6's. If that Jaguar was by Kia people would say, "they copied the Audi," and acting like everyone else's designs are original.

Very few lower-priced cars still use the front-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration that the Ultimate Driving Machine uses. Even the all-wheel drive BMWs are basically rear-wheel drive.

OTOH, almost all Audis are basically front-wheel drive cars, even the ones with Quattro.

When manufacturers of smaller front-wheel drive cars need to copy someone, copying the rear-wheel drive cars often lead to odd proportions.

Copying a premium front-wheel drive car like Audi means they can pretty blatantly borrow both the styling and the same proportions.

BMWs AWD is RWD, sure thing... and Audi's AWD is FWD, well said Einstein.

You must have meant the rear biased torque vectoring Quattro vs the caveman era xi-iDrive-whatchamacallit-long-badge-name-Drive.

The whole VAG group is about selling the same stuff at different price points , from Skoda (e.g. supern hint son BMW front styling) through to Seat, VW and especially to the suckers buying Audis etc..

ds_seven .. Audi had boxy front square lights, until they started getting ideas from GM, Ford Honda, Toyota...

their head lights are still the same shape,and to say audi borrowed from any of those companies is absurd.ford,gm,wtf are talking about.

what about audi and merc copying the idrive system with the centre display dash screen. also from far audi rears tend to look like a bmw 3 series coupe, untill i get up close i see that it is an audi.

Dumb thread, and typical autolies flame bait. Peruse other forums and even step out into the real world, and you'll notice that not everyone is impressed by audi's boring designs. They may THINK the world bows at their feet but they have nothing that I even look twice at.

The only company borrowing their tacky LED lights front and rear is the one which employs their former designer. And sorry, but it looks just as silly on a Kia as it does on the high-dollar vw's.

Audi's designs can't be too boring and plain otherwise explain the faces of the Lancer, Tundra, 2012 Aveo, and Honda CR-Z. Audi grilles from 4 different manufacturers heck one is even a pick up truck. If the 2009 Tundra was revealed as a new Audi pick up would you had believed it? I know if the Tundra design went to Kia people would say, it looks like an Audi, ignornign the fact that the CTS also has an Audi like grille. Heck even the Malibu has it with the Mercedes C class' headlights.

And so what if the Kia looks like an Audi, what that going to do with the other copycats? Nothing. That's right nothing it won't change the fact that the new Infinti M's greenhouse came from the Impala's.

ds_seven

Basically what i'm saying is VAG group, were still palying with Block headlights back in year 2000 where others were mo0ving on..


http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/200511/2000-audi-a4-older-12_1024x0w.jpg


http://www.autogaleria.hu/autok/toyota/avensis-hatchback-1997-2000/toyota_avensis-hatchback-1997-2000_r3.jpg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/1998-2000_Honda_Accord_sedan.jpg



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/2000.vauxhall.vectra.1point8.arp.jpg/800px-2000.vauxhall.vectra.1point8.arp.jpg


Notice how VW passat is basically an Audi A4... and even a vauxhall and Honda has sloping headlights...

Now compare thyat to an lEXUS IS 200 back in year 2000...

http://www.acklamcarcentre.co.uk/images/cars/zoom/1201879107-59430900.jpg

No Audi even looked like that in yer 2000 (they were still blocky ss I showed in previous post).. Todays Audi is basically a cheesey grille with Cues from lexus IS200 from circa 2000..

I love it when BMW fans get all riled up about the slightest thing.

So much hate for Audis, LOL. It only means THEY MUST REALLY BE DOING SOME DAMAGE TO THE COMPETITION. Not surprising when you win 24lm SO MANY TIMES, you beat MB at DTM twice in a row, you release countless Car of the YEar models, performance car of the year, etc, etc, etc, improve sales against declining competition market share, you have Green Car of the Year and beat non-other than the hyped Prius with nothing other than a Diesel, you revolutionize design with gorgeous car designs such as the A5, R8, TT, A6 and Q5 and beat BMW and countless mainstream car magazine comparos. I could go on and on. You know you are doing well when other fanboys provide RECORD number negative comments!!!

Go AUDI!

BMW sells twice as many 3-series as Audi's entire lineup. Sure, Audi is making noise but clearly has a long way to go. i wouldn't even say Audi is where Lexus was 10 years ago...

I see someone doesn't see the side profile on the 2006 Tribeca came from the 1st generation Murano. But that's ok, because here is my alternative, the Pilot's backend came from the Scion XB's. My moto is if you don't agree with any of the cars I say copied, I'll just put another copy; as a result, you still can't say nothing. Hyundai made the Tribeca and I said it copied the Murano, you wouldn't had said nothing. That's why I'm on here.

The Subaru Forster looks like the baby Kia Borrego.

Smart's tailights came from the Chevy HHR's.

Who else wants to challenge me? Who wants to say, "the Ford 500's greenhouse didn't come from the A6's?" The 2005 Camry's tailights came from the Mercedes C class. But only the 2003 Daewoo (when it went on sale in America what every that Daewoo sedan was called) copied the Mercedes.

2009 Mazda 6 and 2005 Lexus ES hint tailights. Speaking of the 2005 ES, the headlights copied the Pontiac Grand Prix's. But only the Kia K7 was the copycat.

I'm JTZ, have a nice day!!!!