These days, BMW is as addicted to big grilles as a 12-year-old is to big boobs after accidentally finding dad’s secret porn stash. Eventually, most 12-year-olds grow out of their first addiction and move on to something else, but BMW, on the other hand, just wants its grilles bigger and bigger – that’s the exact reason why the BMW Concept 4 damn near broke the internet in the worst way possible. All of that can now be forgiven now that X-TOMI design has converted the 4 Series Coupe Concept into a shooting brake. Well, to me it looks like a longer two-door hatchback, but for intents and purposes, it’s being considered a shooting brake, so we’ll go with that. Either way, We’re convinced that BMW needs to take the plunge on this one, even if it won’t ditch that fugly grille.

2019 BMW Concept 4 Shooting Brake – A Preview or Wishful Thinking?

I’ve written several stories about the BMW Concept 4 that made its grand and outright controversial debut at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show. For the most part, the concept – a representation of what the next-gen 4 Series will look like – is pretty attractive. I liked the side profile and even most of the rear end. I wasn’t too big of a fan of the size of the rear windscreen, but that’s neither here nor there – it still looked relatively sporty and attractive. The front end, sans the grille, was also attractive, but those renderings with the 8 Series grille in place of that travesty that BMW created is much more in line with what the car needs.

But, what about a hatchback or shooting brake? Thanks to X-TOMI Design we have an idea of what the Concept 4 looks like in such a form, and we’re practically ready to beg BMW to make this thing happen. The extended side glass works oddly well with the rear quarters, and the extended roof has just the right slant really lends this thing more of a hatchback look than anything. Either way, it’s sporty, attractive, and I want one.

Will it actually happen, though? I’m guessing not. I mean, BMW has done the 1 Series hatchback, and it has larger wagons, but we’ll never see a two-door shooting brake like this. We should, no doubt, but it’s not up BMW’s alley, and it is, probably, a little too niche to come even close to being profitable. BMW has said that the next-gen 4 Series will very closely resemble the design of the Concept 4 with only minor variations coming into play between the concept and production model. As you guessed it, that big grille will probably carry over.

What do you think about the Concept 4 Shooting Brake? Should BMW put something like this into production or is it just as ridiculous as the big grille on the concept’s nose? I saw we make a compromise: downsize the grille by 33-percent and give us a hatchback? Sound good to you, BMW?

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 BMW Concept 4.