OK Boomer: The Low-Down on the BMW iX
"OK, Boomer. And what's your reason not to change?"
That's the BMW tweet that was seen around the world, or at least in BMW enthusiast circles.
And it's created quite the intergenerational kerfuffle. So what is this all about, you ask? Simply put, it's about the BMW iX, the company's new flagship electric SUV. It's not so much about the vehicle itself as it is about a specific part of the vehicle—the grille.
Many people think it looks like beaver teeth. In fact, the whole front end of the BMW iX is said to resemble a big squirrel. That might be a little harsh, but it's driving a great deal of debate.
So let's look at the controversy and see what BMW's new electric SUV has to offer.
What It's All About
The debate boils down to this: a lot of people are unhappy about the design of the BMW iX.
Some consider the new design to be downright ugly. Now, that may or may not be a fair criticism; beauty, after all, is in the eye of the beholder. For its part, BMW claims that the new design is innovative, avant-garde, futuristic, and a bold challenge to the status quo.
In other words, just give it some time. The design will grow on you; after all, the most beloved car designs were at one time bold and may even have seemed unattractive to some.
But, in a bizarre move, BMW decided to insult the only demographic that can mostly afford its vehicles: Baby Boomers; thus, the rather tone-deaf tweet from BMW, which used the "OK, Boomer" meme. It's something that is widely seen as contemptuous and dismissive of the whole generation.
It does make it seem as though the company was talking down to, if not outright dismissing, its loyal customer base. And that's never a wise marketing ploy of course.
Is the BMW iX the Future of BMW?
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's see what the new BMW SUV has to offer.
First, the elephant in the room. Yes, the BMW iX's front end looks rather rodent-like. But at least it's not a smiley face.
Other than that, the iX is a technological marvel. It has a range of 300 miles, and its sophisticated electric battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in less than forty minutes.
Meanwhile, the interior is a masterpiece of minimalist design for the ultimate driving machine. The instrument cluster is compact and simplified, which is a big change for a BMW vehicle. The screen console also makes use of BMW's futuristic operating system, which allows for both voice and touch control.
As far as autonomous capabilities are concerned, there's not much to go on. Despite earlier assurances, it seems the BMW iX will not feature Level 3 autonomy (full automation for certain driving conditions, with the driver on standby).
Don't Feel Bummed About Your Beamer
Don't let a silly Twitter dust-up get you down. Get out there and enjoy your new BMW iX, no matter what it looks like to others!
And if you want to trick out your new Beamer with high-performance parts, you've come to the right place. Check out our products catalog, or you can search by the make and model of your vehicle too.
