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I have long defended Chris Bangle and BMW design, believing it necessary to break the classic mold that had prevailed for too long, an opinion validated by ever-increasing BMW sales. But the fact that I approved that stylistic rupture with the too-comfortable past didn't mean I actually liked the disruptive designs. However interesting they may have been, some were really awful. Particularly distressing was the 2000 Z8, which completely missed its attempt to recapture the essence of 1950s sports cars, something Alfa Romeo's 8C Competizione does perfectly. And the grotesque sagging curves of the Z3 and the 2002 Z4 turned me off completely.