Don’t know about you, but most of us here are coming around to BMW’s jumbo grilles. Maybe it’s because BMW was right all along, and we just need to get over our shock, or maybe it’s just that we’ve now seen enough of them on cars like the 4-Series, M3, X1 and X7.
Not everyone is a fan of the new look, but to make sure the next generation of BMW fans is onboard, the automaker has extended the availability of its biggest grilles to its smallest model, the BMW Baby Racer.
The Baby Racer has been around for over three decades and taken different forms over the years, but for its fourth generation it’s been updated to mirror the styling trends visible on its full-size cousins, which means it has a huge double kidney grille on the nose. And while BMW doesn’t specifically say it’s supposed to be a shrunken M car, the horizontal slats are just like those on the six-cylinder M4 coupe, M4 convertible and M3 sedan.
Related: So You Wish BMW Would Go Back To Its Old Grilles, But Which Ones?
Unfortunately for speed-crazed preschoolers, power comes from two legs rather than over 500 horses, and the wheels look more like something you’d find on a luxury SUV or 5-Series than an M car. But we’re digging the the fake tailpipes, flared arches and realistic-looking rear lights. Even the steering wheel and dummy digital instrument cluster look recognizably similar to what you’d get in a grown-up’s BMW.
Luxuries are scarce by modern BMW standards and limited to three color options (black, blue and white), a soft seat in contrasting colors, a horn and ‘whisper’ tires. But BMW hasn’t missed an opportunity to tick the sustainability box and opted to make those tires from recycled materials. And if your kid gets carried away running gymkhanas in the living room and breaks their Baby Racer you can pick up spare parts from your BMW dealer.
The mini BMWs with the maxi grilles are available to order from dealers and online now, and while prices haven’t been announced they’re likely to roughly match the $129/£89 charged for the outgoing car, which was also available with M stripes for an additional $13.
