Back From The Plastic Surgeon

The Mazda BT-50 has just been upgraded. JACO KIRSTEN gave it a good look-over, drove a few kilometres in it and spoke to some people from Mazda.

- Jaco Kirsten

When the first edition of the current Mazda BT-50 was released in South Africa about five years ago, a whole bunch of us motoring journalists looked at each other and thought, “What the hell?” The styling was, well, unique. In particular, the front nose and the shiny rear light clusters generated a lot of negative commentary. It was like no other bakkie. But mechanically it was identical to the new Ford Ranger. In other words, it would sell relatively well, surely? Erm, not quite, it turned out.

Unfortunately, when it comes to a vehicle’s styling no one sits on the fence. Take for example Chris Bangle, the former head of design at BMW. He was responsible for one of the biggest evolutions in design at a vehicle manufacturer. Unfortunately the market wasn’t ready for his ideas, and his E65 7 Series was widely criticised. His design philosophy included what he called “flame surfacing,” which also featured in the subsequent Z4 range and divided opinions. People were angry, shocked and referred to his designs (many of which were actually penned by his subordinate, Adrian van Hooydonk) as “Bangle bungles.” Errors of judgment, slip-ups, dropping the ball with an open try line before you – those sorts of references.

Time is a funny thing 

But here’s the catch: Bangle was right all along. At a time when the chorus of outrage had reached a crescendo, this bearded, bespectacled Californian shook his head and said: “No, vehicle design has reached a dead-end. There must be a renewal, and this is the direction that I believe it should develop in.”