Here it is. The first understandable Bangle-era BMW. Next to the 7-Series and later 5-Series, the new 6-Series coupe looks almost conventional. I say as much to Bangle himself, and he's outraged.

"Let me ask you a question," he flames. "Do you remember the Z9 concept car? This is that car with normal doors and a higher rear deck. You think this is understandable now, but the Z9... hey!"

His point is that the world went mad at the Z9, wringing its hands at BMW's design derailment, but it was just a softening-up exercise for the strange saloons that followed.