New 4GC unveiled

^^^ 😆

Does it?

Because although the car is not the looker we'd like it to be, all reviews of the M440i to date have said it's a cracking car, looks-aside.

And BMW were historically sold on the way they drove, not necessarily the way they looked. Far more so than say Audi or Mercedes. Jags and Alfas trade on looks.

The Laguna was hatchback not a saloon.

Am I right in thinking that this new 4GC is a 4 door and not a 5 door like racing's? In which case, I can't see what the USP is over a 3 series saloon any more.

I'm not finding the front any more agreeable with time. It just looks terrible.

My wife won't make me buy anything anytime soon - she'll be happy keeping our current car, which she likes. Remember she's had her car for nearly eight years - she's not one for changing for change's sake when it comes to cars.

But having an ugly mug isn't necessarily a killer if the rest of the package works - remember I bought a new M135i when they first came out and we were all behind the sofa wailing about how ugly the front was. They still aren't pretty cars all these years later.

Obviously you have different buying needs as a Londoner then the rest of us. If I lived where you did I'd have the new Fiat 500e or honda E or Mini E as the daily but then something interesting as the second car and this is where something like the BMW falls short. Something like an Alfa QV at similar money would be an awesome 2 car garage. 

Nearly all....

Few Londoners need a daily - commuting by car here is very rare unless your office is actually in outer London. Certainly we don't, and my wife has worked out that it's much cheaper to keep her current car and pay the congestion charge now and again, as compared to spunking an extra £20k over what her car is worth on a new electric supermini.

If the My19 comes with folding seats that's an improvement - originally they didn't (although normal versions did) for extra strengthening (or so I was told at a viewing).

From memory there were a number of motors, usually rally homologation types, that had no folding rear seats for rigidity. No rhyme or reason for them on a road car but homolgation rules were/are fairly strict.

Without getting onto the German vs Italian debate but the missus ran an Alfa for 4 years with zero issues. My golf at the time was a reliability nightmare so in my experience they’re as good as anything the Germans pump out. The problem is the dealers but the you just have to hope you get a reliable one and you only need service work done

Here's my counter-argument

Some saloons are better looking than the estates:

BMW E39 5 series
BMW F10 5 series
All C-class and E-Class
Jaguar XF (X250)
Audi B7 RS4

I agree with the E39, but not the others, especially the B7 RS4 and F10 which look miles better in estate form.   The 406 was a very nice looking estate car in its day.   I had a metallic dark blue one (company car) and thought it looked great at the time, although by far the best thing about it was it had Aircon, which with it being a 1.9TD 90hp, was also the 'sport' button!   It was one of the first in the country (1996/P), I went into my local dealer to buy carpet mats and the place emptied as they all came out to look at it.   I'm just pleased I didn't have to pay for the tyres or servicing, as it was on 6k intervals (every 2-3 months) and they swapped the tyres at every service so it needed 4 every 12k miles (4-5 months).  

Possibly a touch of rose tinted specs as it was my first ever brand new car, but I don't think so.