BMW may be known as the purveyor of Sheer Driving Pleasure, but as much as cars like the M3 and M4 need to exist for the Bavarian automaker's legacy to remain strong, cars like the upcoming i7 and electric versions of the company's 5 and 7 Series sedans are just as important if there is to be a legacy at all. One of the cars tasked with saving BMW from obsolescence is the new iX electric crossover, a vehicle that has some truly controversial styling but is a big part of the brand's plan to survive in an electric future. We've already seen the reveal of the iX, but what does it look like away from professional photographers with editing software?

As you can see from the photographs posted on Instagram, the iX's remarkably slim LED headlights and taillights (the thinnest ever fitted to a production Bimmer) look decidedly more awkward in the flesh than the already odd professional depictions show. That ghastly new front grille is also less at home in the real world than in a setting with perfect lighting. In any case, we won't dwell on the styling too long as it's not going to change. What is worth talking about, however, is the vinyl applied to this vehicle that was spotted in BMW's home town of Munich, Germany.

The graphics tell us that this is a test vehicle, although we could have surmised that on our own anyway, but it really does look ready for the open road. With a nearly complete iX roaming the roads of Germany, it won't be long before it will be ready for market, but unfortunately, we'll only get this crossover in early 2022 while Europe will get access late next year. Still, with a range of over 300 miles, a maximum output rating of almost 500 horsepower, and the ability to complete the 0-62 mph sprint in under five seconds, it could be worth the wait. Despite the online criticism.