BMW M
A motorsport-engineering interface anchored on a near-black canvas with white BMW Type Next Latin display headlines in confident UPPERCASE. The brand carries no decorative voltage — its energy comes from full-bleed automotive photography (cars on tracks, driver-cockpit shots, carbon-fiber detail) and the iconic M tricolor stripe (light blue → dark blue → red) used sparingly as a brand signature on logos, dividers, and motorsport chrome. Type stays light to medium weight to feel European-engineered, never American-bombastic.
Color Tokens
version: alpha name: BMW M description: A motorsport-engineering interface anchored on a near-black canvas with white BMW Type Next Latin display headlines in confident UPPERCASE. The brand carries no decorative voltage — its energy comes from full-bleed automotive photography (cars on tracks, driver-cockpit shots, carbon-fiber detail) and the iconic M tricolor stripe (light blue → dark blue → red) used sparingly as a brand signature on logos, dividers, and motorsport chrome. Type stays light to medium weight to feel European-engineered, never American-bombastic.
colors: primary: "#ffffff" ink: "#ffffff" body: "#bbbbbb" body-strong: "#e6e6e6" muted: "#7e7e7e" hairline: "#3c3c3c" hairline-strong: "#262626" canvas: "#000000" surface-card: "#1a1a1a" surface-elevated: "#262626" surface-soft: "#0d0d0d" on-primary: "#000000" on-dark: "#ffffff" m-blue-light: "#0066b1" m-blue-dark: "#1c69d4" m-red: "#e22718" bmw-blue: "#1c69d4" electric-blue: "#0653b6" carbon-gray: "#2b2b2b" warning: "#f4b400" success: "#0fa336"
typography: display-xl: fontFamily: "BMWTypeNextLatin, sans-serif" fontSize: 80px fontWeight: 700 lineHeight: 1 letterSpacing: 0 display-lg: fontFamily: "BMWTypeNextLatin, sans-serif" fontSize: 56px fontWeight: 700 lineHeight: 1.05 letterSpacing: 0 display-md: fontFamily: "BMWTypeNextLatin, sans-serif" fontSize: 40px fontWeight: 700 lineHeight: 1.1 letterSpacing: 0 display-sm: fontFamily: "BMWTypeNextLatin, sans-serif" fontSize: 32px fontWeight: 700 lineHeight: 1.15 letterSpacing: 0 title-lg: fontFamily: "BMWTypeNextLatin, sans-serif" fontSize: 24px fontWeight: 700 lineHeight: 1.3 letterSpacing: 0 title-md: fontFamily: "BMWTypeNextLatin, sans-serif" fontSize: 20px fontWeight: 400 lineHeight: 1.4 letterSpacing: 0 title-sm: fontFamily: "BMWTypeNextLatin, sans-serif" fontSize: 18px fontWeight: 400 lineHeight: 1.4 letterSpacing: 0 label-uppercase: fontFamily: "BMWTypeNextLatin, sans-serif" fontSize: 14px fontWeight: 700 lineHeight: 1.3 letterSpacing: 1.5px body-md: fontFamily: "BMWTypeNextLatin Light, BMWTypeNextLatin, sans-serif" fontSize: 16px fontWeight: 300 lineHeight: 1.5 letterSpacing: 0 body-sm: fontFamily: "BMWTypeNextLatin Light, sans-serif" fontSize: 14px fontWeight: 300 lineHeight: 1.5 letterSpacing: 0 caption: fontFamily: "BMWTypeNextLatin, sans-serif" fontSize: 12px fontWeight: 400 lineHeight: 1.4 letterSpacing: 0.5px button: fontFamily: "BMWTypeNextLatin, sans-serif" fontSize: 14px fontWeight: 700 lineHeight: 1 letterSpacing: 1.5px nav-link: fontFamily: "BMWTypeNextLatin, sans-serif" fontSize: 14px fontWeight: 400 lineHeight: 1.4 letterSpacing: 0.5px
rounded: none: 0px xs: 2px sm: 4px md: 6px full: 9999px
spacing: xxs: 4px xs: 8px sm: 12px md: 16px lg: 24px xl: 40px xxl: 64px section: 96px
components: button-primary: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.button}" rounded: "{rounded.none}" padding: 16px 32px height: 48px button-primary-outline: backgroundColor: transparent textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.button}" rounded: "{rounded.none}" padding: 16px 32px height: 48px button-on-light: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.button}" rounded: "{rounded.none}" padding: 16px 32px button-icon: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-card}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" rounded: "{rounded.full}" size: 48px text-link: backgroundColor: transparent textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.label-uppercase}" top-nav: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.nav-link}" height: 64px hero-photo-band: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.display-xl}" padding: 96px m-stripe-divider: backgroundColor: transparent textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" height: 4px feature-photo-card: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-card}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.title-md}" rounded: "{rounded.none}" padding: 24px model-card: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.title-lg}" rounded: "{rounded.none}" padding: 24px magazine-article-card: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.title-md}" rounded: "{rounded.none}" padding: 24px spec-cell: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-soft}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.body-md}" rounded: "{rounded.none}" padding: 24px cookie-consent-card: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.body-sm}" rounded: "{rounded.none}" padding: 24px category-tab: backgroundColor: transparent textColor: "{colors.body}" typography: "{typography.label-uppercase}" padding: 12px 0 category-tab-active: backgroundColor: transparent textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.label-uppercase}" padding: 12px 0 text-input: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-card}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.body-md}" rounded: "{rounded.none}" padding: 12px 16px height: 48px chatbot-launcher: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-card}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.title-md}" rounded: "{rounded.none}" padding: 24px cta-band-photo: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.display-md}" padding: 80px motorsport-photo-card: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" typography: "{typography.title-md}" rounded: "{rounded.none}" carousel-arrow: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-card}" textColor: "{colors.on-dark}" rounded: "{rounded.full}" size: 48px footer: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.body}" typography: "{typography.body-sm}" padding: 64px
Overview
BMW M's marketing surface is a near-pure black canvas ({colors.canvas} — #000) holding white BMW Type Next Latin headlines in confident UPPERCASE. The system has no decorative voltage of its own; brand energy comes from full-bleed automotive photography — cars cornering at speed, carbon-fiber wheel detail, driver cockpit shots, motorsport pit lanes — placed as edge-to-edge content that fills entire bands. UI chrome around the photography stays minimal: thin sans-serif copy, dividers as 1px hairlines ({colors.hairline}), all-caps button labels with no fill until hovered.
The M tricolor stripe — {colors.m-blue-light} (#0066b1) → {colors.m-blue-dark} (#1c69d4) → {colors.m-red} (#e22718) — appears sparingly as the brand's signature accent, used on the M wordmark, motorsport chrome, vehicle-tech callouts, and model badges. It is never a CTA color and never used as a background fill — the tricolor is exclusively a brand-identity marker.
Type voice runs BMW Type Next Latin in two cuts: regular for display + nav labels and Light for body + secondary copy. Display sizes use weight 700 (BMW's signature heavy-but-tight setting), while body type drops to weight 300 (Light). The contrast between heavy display and light body is the system's editorial signature.
Key Characteristics:
- Near-pure black canvas (
{colors.canvas}— #000) with white type. The system inverts almost nothing — there is no light-mode marketing surface. - Display headlines in UPPERCASE BMW Type Next Latin at weight 700. Sub-heads stay sentence-case at lighter weight.
- M tricolor (
{colors.m-blue-light}/{colors.m-blue-dark}/{colors.m-red}) used as 4px brand-stripe dividers, M-wordmark accents, and motorsport chrome — never as buttons or fills. - Photography fills entire bands edge-to-edge. Cars are always the visual subject; UI chrome backs off to small white labels overlaid on photography.
- Buttons are flat with
{rounded.none}(0px) corners and uppercase letterspaced labels. The "industrial precision" rectangular silhouette IS the brand. - Border radius is mostly zero across the system. The few exceptions:
{rounded.full}on circular icon buttons (carousel arrows, chatbot launcher) and{rounded.sm}on a handful of small toggle pills. - Spacing is generous and grid-aligned:
{spacing.section}(96px) between major bands;{spacing.xxl}(64px) inside hero photo bands;{spacing.xl}(40px) inside content cards.
Colors
Brand & Accent
- Primary (
{colors.primary}— #ffffff): The system's primary type and CTA color. Used for h1/h2/h3 display, body text on dark, and primary button labels (the buttons themselves are transparent or canvas-colored — the white text + outline IS the button). - M Blue Light (
{colors.m-blue-light}— #0066b1): The first stop in the M tricolor stripe. Used on M-badge accents and motorsport chrome. - M Blue Dark (
{colors.m-blue-dark}— #1c69d4): The middle stop. The same hex as{colors.bmw-blue}— BMW's heritage corporate blue, repurposed as the middle band of the M stripe. - M Red (
{colors.m-red}— #e22718): The third stop. The signature M-power red, used in the stripe and on motorsport-pace callouts. - Electric Blue (
{colors.electric-blue}— #0653b6): A separate electric-vehicle accent used on M xDrive electric model pages. Distinct from the heritage blue — feels colder, more digital.
Surface
- Canvas (
{colors.canvas}— #000000): The default page floor across every marketing surface. True black. - Surface Soft (
{colors.surface-soft}— #0d0d0d): A barely-different-from-black used for spec table cells and footer-adjacent strips. - Surface Card (
{colors.surface-card}— #1a1a1a): Cards, secondary buttons, icon-button backgrounds. - Surface Elevated (
{colors.surface-elevated}— #262626): One step lighter, used for nested cards inside dark bands. - Carbon Gray (
{colors.carbon-gray}— #2b2b2b): Carbon-fiber-inspired surface tone used on technical-spec cards.
Hairlines & Borders
- Hairline (
{colors.hairline}— #3c3c3c): The 1px divider tone on dark surfaces. Used between body sections, between table rows, around card outlines. - Hairline Strong (
{colors.hairline-strong}— #262626): Same hex as{colors.surface-elevated}— borders feel like one-step elevations rather than ink lines.
Text
- Ink / On Dark (
{colors.on-dark}— #ffffff): All headline and primary text on dark canvas. - Body (
{colors.body}— #bbbbbb): Default running-text color (slightly cooler than pure white). Used for body paragraphs and secondary metadata. - Body Strong (
{colors.body-strong}— #e6e6e6): Emphasized body / lead paragraph. - Muted (
{colors.muted}— #7e7e7e): Footer links, breadcrumbs, captions.
Semantic
- Warning (
{colors.warning}— #f4b400): Used very sparingly on technical-warning callouts. - Success (
{colors.success}— #0fa336): Order-confirmation states (rare on marketing surfaces).
Typography
Font Family
BMW Type Next Latin is BMW's licensed display + body typeface. The system uses two cuts: regular and Light. The fallback stack walks -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, sans-serif.
The split is a deliberate weight-pair:
- Display (700) for headlines, navigation labels, button text, and category labels — the "stamped" voice
- Light (300) for body paragraphs, descriptive copy, and secondary metadata — the "engineered" voice
The contrast between heavy display and light body is BMW's editorial signature — never blur it by using regular (400) display or medium (500) body.
Hierarchy
| Token | Size | Weight | Line Height | Letter Spacing | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
{typography.display-xl} | 80px | 700 | 1.0 | 0 | Hero h1 ("THE ULTIMATE", "MORE BMW M.") |
{typography.display-lg} | 56px | 700 | 1.05 | 0 | Section heads ("MORE FROM BMW M MAGAZINE.") |
{typography.display-md} | 40px | 700 | 1.1 | 0 | Sub-section heads, model names |
{typography.display-sm} | 32px | 700 | 1.15 | 0 | CTA-band heads, category page titles |
{typography.title-lg} | 24px | 700 | 1.3 | 0 | Card titles in 3-up grids |
{typography.title-md} | 20px | 400 | 1.4 | 0 | Card sub-titles, lead paragraphs |
{typography.title-sm} | 18px | 400 | 1.4 | 0 | Spec callouts, intro paragraphs |
{typography.label-uppercase} | 14px | 700 | 1.3 | 1.5px | Category tabs, "VIEW MORE" inline labels |
{typography.body-md} | 16px | 300 (Light) | 1.5 | 0 | Default body — BMW Type Next Latin Light |
{typography.body-sm} | 14px | 300 (Light) | 1.5 | 0 | Footer body, cookie consent, fine print |
{typography.caption} | 12px | 400 | 1.4 | 0.5px | Photo captions, image-credit lines |
{typography.button} | 14px | 700 | 1.0 | 1.5px | All button labels — uppercase, letterspaced |
{typography.nav-link} | 14px | 400 | 1.4 | 0.5px | Top-nav menu items |
Principles
The system contrasts heavy headlines (700) against very light body (300) at all times — the gap is the editorial signature. Letter-spacing is non-trivial: button labels and category labels carry 1.5px tracking that makes them feel "machined" rather than "typed." Display headlines stay at 0 letter-spacing — BMW Type's natural cap-height handles spacing on large sizes.
UPPERCASE display is the default voice for h1/h2 — sentence case appears on body and intro paragraphs but rarely on headlines. The all-caps treatment is a brand-voice signal, not a stylistic choice.
Note on Font Substitutes
If BMW Type Next Latin is unavailable, Inter (variable) at 700/300 is the closest open-source substitute. Adjust display headline tracking to -0.5px to match BMW Type's tighter spacing at large sizes. Saira Condensed is an alternative for headlines if a slightly more compressed feel is desired.
Layout
Spacing System
- Base unit: 4px.
- Tokens:
{spacing.xxs}4px ·{spacing.xs}8px ·{spacing.sm}12px ·{spacing.md}16px ·{spacing.lg}24px ·{spacing.xl}40px ·{spacing.xxl}64px ·{spacing.section}96px. - Section padding (vertical):
{spacing.section}(96px) between major editorial bands. - Hero photo bands:
{spacing.xxl}(64px) internal vertical padding around the hero h1 + sub-headline pair. - Card internal padding:
{spacing.lg}(24px) for content and model cards;{spacing.xl}(40px) for spec-cell tables. - Gutters:
{spacing.lg}(24px) between cards in 3-up grids;{spacing.md}(16px) inside footer columns.
Grid & Container
- Max content width: ~1440px centered on marketing pages — wider than typical SaaS to give photography breathing room.
- Editorial body: Single 12-column grid; photo bands bleed full-bleed (no max-width).
- Card grids: 3-up at desktop, 2-up at tablet, 1-up at mobile.
- Footer: 4-column link list at desktop, 2-up at tablet, 1-up at mobile.
Whitespace Philosophy
BMW M trusts photography to do the visual work. Whitespace around photography is restrained — the cars fill the frame, and copy sits below or beside them in tightly-aligned columns. Where whitespace appears (between body sections, around CTAs), it's always uniform {spacing.section} (96px). The system never adds atmospheric backdrops, gradients, or decoration — empty space stays as empty black canvas.
Elevation & Depth
| Level | Treatment | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Flat | No shadow, no border | Body sections, top nav, footer, photo bands |
| Soft hairline | 1px {colors.hairline} border | Section dividers, card outlines, table rows |
| Card surface | {colors.surface-card} background over canvas — no shadow | Feature photo cards, magazine cards, chatbot launcher |
| Photographic depth | Full-bleed photography with edge-to-edge crop | Hero bands, motorsport features — depth via subject matter, not chrome |
The system uses no drop shadows and no layered chrome. Depth comes entirely from photography (subject + lens + lighting) and the contrast between black canvas and slightly-elevated {colors.surface-card}.
Decorative Depth
- M Stripe Divider (
{component.m-stripe-divider}): A 4px-tall horizontal divider carrying the M tricolor ({colors.m-blue-light}→{colors.m-blue-dark}→{colors.m-red}). Used on motorsport chrome, model-detail headers, and brand-identity moments. The stripe is the system's only true "decorative" element — used sparingly to mark significance. - Carbon-fiber surfaces: The technical-spec page uses
{colors.carbon-gray}(#2b2b2b) cells with subtle texture overlay. This is a single-page treatment, not a system-wide pattern. - Photographic depth: Full-bleed cars are the depth. Lighting in the photography (track lights, sunset rim-light) does the elevation work that drop shadows would do in a SaaS system.
Shapes
Border Radius Scale
| Token | Value | Use |
|---|---|---|
{rounded.none} | 0px | All buttons, cards, photo containers, spec cells, inputs — the dominant radius |
{rounded.xs} | 2px | Almost no use — reserved for legal CTAs |
{rounded.sm} | 4px | Small toggle pills on configurator surfaces |
{rounded.md} | 6px | Rare — small dropdown menu items |
{rounded.full} | 9999px / 50% | Circular icon buttons, carousel arrows, chatbot launcher |
The radius hierarchy is "almost always 0, sometimes circular." This binary radius decision is a deliberate brand-language choice — sharp rectangles read as engineered precision; circles read as functional controls. Nothing in between.
Photography Geometry
Hero photography fills full-width with no rounding. Photo cards inside grids retain {rounded.none} corners, edge-to-edge images. Carbon-wheel detail shots and motorsport-pit photos use 16:9 or 21:9 cinema-aspect ratios. Driver portraits in racing-team grids use 4:5 portrait crops, also with sharp corners.
Components
Top Navigation
top-nav — Black nav bar pinned to the top of every page. 64px tall, {colors.canvas} background. Carries the BMW M logo at left (M tricolor + BMW roundel + "M" wordmark), primary horizontal menu (Models, Topics, Magazine, Configurator, Fastlane), right-side cluster with language selector, search icon, account icon. Menu items render in {typography.nav-link} with sentence-case labels.
Buttons
button-primary — The signature primary CTA. Background {colors.canvas} (or transparent over photography), text {colors.on-dark} (white), 1px white border outline, rounded {rounded.none} (0px), padding 16px × 32px, height 48px. Type {typography.button} — uppercase 14px / 700 / 1.5px tracking. The rectangular silhouette and uppercase letterspaced label IS the brand button.
button-primary-outline — Same shape as primary but with transparent background and white outline only. Used over photography where a filled button would clash with the image.
button-on-light — Used on rare light-surface contexts (configurator, account dialogs). Background {colors.canvas}, text {colors.on-dark} — black button with white text, inverted from the dark-canvas default.
button-icon — Circular icon buttons (carousel controls, share, favorite). 48 × 48px, background {colors.surface-card}, white icon centered, rounded {rounded.full}. The only non-rectangular button shape in the system.
carousel-arrow — Specific 48 × 48 circular arrow used in photo carousels. Same shape as {component.button-icon} with chevron glyph.
text-link — Inline uppercase letterspaced links ("VIEW ALL MODELS", "READ MORE"). {typography.label-uppercase}, white on dark, no underline. The chevron arrow → glyph appears next to most link labels.
Cards & Containers
hero-photo-band — Full-width black band with full-bleed automotive photography filling most of the frame. The h1 uses {typography.display-xl} (80px / 700) and sits left-aligned over the photo, often with a small subtitle in {typography.body-md} below. Vertical padding {spacing.xxl} (64px). No card frame — the photo IS the band.
feature-photo-card — Used in 3-up grids for "MORE FROM BMW M MAGAZINE" and similar editorial sections. Background {colors.surface-card}, rounded {rounded.none}, internal padding {spacing.lg} (24px). Top half of the card is a 16:9 photo (full-bleed within the card); below the photo, a category tag in {typography.label-uppercase}, a {typography.title-lg} title, and a short body description.
model-card — Used in the "MORE NEW M MODELS" 3-up grid. Background {colors.canvas} (no card surface — just photo on black), rounded {rounded.none}. Top: 16:10 hero shot of the model. Below: model name in {typography.display-md} (40px / 700), short specs line in {typography.body-sm}, a {component.text-link} ("EXPLORE THIS MODEL").
magazine-article-card — A more text-forward card variant used on the magazine overview page. Background {colors.canvas} with hairline border, rounded {rounded.none}. Carries a small thumbnail at top, a category label in {typography.label-uppercase}, headline in {typography.title-lg}, and a body excerpt.
spec-cell — Technical specification cells used on model-detail pages (engine specs, weight, top speed, 0-100 time). Background {colors.surface-soft} (#0d0d0d), rounded {rounded.none}, padding {spacing.lg} (24px). Each cell holds a value in {typography.display-sm} (32px / 700) at top and a label in {typography.label-uppercase} below.
motorsport-photo-card — Edge-to-edge photo cards used in the racing-team / motorsport sections. No card surface — just a full-bleed photograph with a small overlay caption in white text at the bottom-left. The photography IS the brand here.
chatbot-launcher — A right-side card-style entry point ("BMW M CHATBOT") on the homepage. Background {colors.surface-card}, rounded {rounded.none}, padding {spacing.lg} (24px). Carries an h3 title, a short prompt, and a {component.button-primary} to launch.
category-tab + category-tab-active — The category selector tabs used on the magazine and topics pages (e.g., "ALL · MAGAZINE · MODELS · LIFESTYLE · MOTORSPORT"). Tabs render as text-only labels in {typography.label-uppercase}. Active state changes text color from {colors.body} to {colors.on-dark} and adds a 2px white underline below the label. No background fill, no rounded corners.
Inputs & Forms
text-input — Standard text input on dark surfaces. Background {colors.surface-card}, text {colors.on-dark}, type {typography.body-md}, rounded {rounded.none} (0px), padding 12px × 16px, height 48px. 1px hairline border. Focus state thickens the border to white.
cookie-consent-card — A right-side cookie-banner card visible on the homepage. Background {colors.canvas} with 1px hairline, rounded {rounded.none}, padding {spacing.lg} (24px). Body text in {typography.body-sm} (14px / 300) — Light weight even for legal text. Two buttons stacked at bottom: primary outline + text-link.
Signature Components
m-stripe-divider — The 4px horizontal stripe carrying the M tricolor ({colors.m-blue-light} → {colors.m-blue-dark} → {colors.m-red}). Used as a divider on motorsport chrome, between brand-identity sections, and as a hover-state indicator on category tabs. The most distinctive non-typographic element in the system.
cta-band-photo — A pre-footer "Drive an M" CTA band carrying full-bleed photography of a car cornering on a track, with a centered headline in {typography.display-md} and a {component.button-primary-outline} below. Vertical padding 80px. The CTA inherits the editorial gravity of the rest of the page through full-bleed photography rather than chrome.
Footer
footer — Black footer that closes every page. Background {colors.canvas}, text {colors.body}. 4-column link list at desktop covering BMW M Models / BMW M Lifestyle / Owners / Company. Vertical padding 64px. Bottom row carries the BMW corporate disclaimer in {typography.caption} and language selector. The footer never inverts — it stays black even when the body might transition.
Do's and Don'ts
Do
- Anchor every page with full-bleed automotive photography. The cars are the brand voltage; chrome backs off.
- Use UPPERCASE display headlines in
{typography.display-xl}or{typography.display-lg}. Sentence-case display reads as off-brand. - Pair heavy display (700) with light body (300). The weight contrast is the editorial signature.
- Reserve the M tricolor stripe for brand-identity moments — wordmark accents, motorsport chrome, model badges. Never as a button fill or surface.
- Use
{rounded.none}(0px) by default. Reserve{rounded.full}for circular icon buttons only. - Letter-space all-caps labels at 1.5px. The "machined" feel is non-negotiable.
- Use
{spacing.section}(96px) between major editorial bands for grid-aligned vertical rhythm.
Don't
- Don't introduce a brand color outside the M tricolor (
{colors.m-blue-light}/{colors.m-blue-dark}/{colors.m-red}) and the heritage{colors.bmw-blue}. - Don't bold body type. Body stays at 300 (Light) — bumping to 400 or 500 makes the page feel marketing-bombastic instead of European-engineered.
- Don't use rounded buttons. The rectangular silhouette IS the brand. Rounded corners read as consumer-tech, not motorsport.
- Don't put gradient backdrops behind hero type. The hero IS the photography — the page floor stays pure black, and the photo provides the depth.
- Don't repeat the same surface mode in two consecutive bands. Rhythm: photo band → spec table → photo band → magazine grid → photo band. Two text-only bands in a row read as a corporate site.
- Don't use the M stripe as a button fill. The stripe is a divider / accent — never an action surface.
- Don't bold uppercase tracking under 1.5px on button labels — the spacing is what makes them feel "machined."
Responsive Behavior
Breakpoints
| Name | Width | Key Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile | < 768px | Hamburger nav; hero h1 scales 80→48px; demo grid 1-up; photo cards stack full-width; footer 4 cols → 1 |
| Tablet | 768–1024px | Top nav stays horizontal but tightens; 2-up card grids; spec tables 2-up |
| Desktop | 1024–1440px | Full top-nav; 3-up card grids; spec tables 4-up |
| Wide | > 1440px | Same as desktop with more breathing room; max content 1440px |
Touch Targets
{component.button-primary}renders at 48 × 48px minimum — meets WCAG AAA.{component.button-icon}and{component.carousel-arrow}are exactly 48 × 48 — comfortably above the 44 × 44 minimum.{component.text-input}height is 48px.- Category tabs render as text-only labels with 12px vertical padding; effective tap area meets 44px with surrounding spacing.
Collapsing Strategy
- Top nav collapses to a hamburger sheet at < 768px; the menu opens as a full-screen black overlay with the M tricolor stripe at the top.
- Photography stays full-bleed at every breakpoint — never collapses to a margin'd container.
- Card grids reduce columns rather than scaling cards down; photography retains its native aspect ratio.
- Spec tables collapse from 4-up to 2-up to 1-up; spec values stay at
{typography.display-sm}regardless of column count. - The M-stripe divider stays at 4px height across all breakpoints.
Image Behavior
- Hero photography crops responsively — wider crops at desktop, vertical crops on mobile.
- Lifestyle and motorsport photos retain native aspect ratios; the system never letterboxes or pillarboxes.
- The M wordmark + tricolor logo scales proportionally with viewport width.
Iteration Guide
- Focus on ONE component at a time. Reference its YAML key (
{component.hero-photo-band},{component.spec-cell}). - New components default to
{rounded.none}(0px). Only use{rounded.full}if it's a circular icon button. - Variants (
-active,-disabled) live as separate entries incomponents:. - Use
{token.refs}everywhere — never inline hex. - Never document hover states. Default and Active/Pressed only.
- Display headlines stay UPPERCASE 700; body stays sentence-case 300. Never blur the contrast.
- The M tricolor is brand-identity-only — never extend it to system tokens for "primary action."
- When in doubt about emphasis: bigger photography before bigger type.
Known Gaps
- The dembrandt frequency analyzer captured the white text (count 955) as the highest-frequency token. The black canvas was inferred from screenshot — dembrandt's body-background sampling didn't surface it as a top palette entry, but the page is unambiguously black-on-white-text.
- The exact M tricolor stops are documented from public BMW brand guidelines; the screenshots show the stripe as a small element but pixel-sampling at this resolution doesn't reliably distinguish #0066b1 from #1c69d4. Treat the documented stops as canonical based on BMW Design Works' published brand spec.
- BMW Type Next Latin weight axis values beyond Light (300) and regular (700) are not documented — only the static weights observed in screenshots.
- Animation and transition timings (photo carousel transitions, hover-reveal effects, configurator interactions) are not in scope.
- Form validation states beyond
{component.text-input}defaults are not extracted — error / success input variants would need a configurator or order flow to confirm. - The configurator surface (vehicle build pages with color / wheel / interior pickers) was not in the analyzed URL set; its swatch grid, comparison panels, and price-summary card are not documented here.
- The cookie consent overlay obscured part of the homepage hero in the captured screenshot; secondary hero treatments (different car models cycling through the hero band) may carry variations not captured.