From the moment BMW revealed its Concept 4, many people have been adamantly opposed to the company's design direction. These people likely weren't happy when the 2021 BMW 4 Series was revealed, sporting the same massive kidney grille seen on the concept. Those who are opposed to the grille will likely point out that the engine shouldn't need so much cooling and that most of the grille area doesn't even let air in, meaning BMW could have gone with a smaller one.

Regardless of personal opinions, BMW's large kidney grille is here to stay, even on upcoming electric models that do not even require one. In fact, rendering artist Kleber Silva has imaged what the 4 Series might look like as an EV and we think the big grille actually looks better here than on the real car.

Silva calls his creation the BMW i440, clearly borrowing design cues from the BMW i4 Concept that was revealed in March. The i4 featured a four-door fastback design, so seeing its design elements applied to a two-door coupe is pretty cool. This rendering looks much more production-ready than the i4, using the conventional headlights and side mirrors from the standard 4 Series.

With no engine under the hood, an electric version of the 4 Series would have absolutely no need for a front grille but for reasons we can't put our finger on, it looks slightly more natural on the i440 than the real car. BMW says the i4 will be powered by a single electric motor producing 523 horsepower, meaning it will be more powerful than the upcoming M4 Competition. We wouldn't mind seeing some internal competition between BMW's i and M divisions.

Silva also designed his own interpretation of the M440i by using the wheels and the Long Beach Blue paint from the original M2. BMW did mention in an interview that it could offer special edition versions of the 4 Series, which may bring back paint colors from the company's portfolio.