The new G80 BMW M3 and G82 BMW M4 aren’t receiving as much love as BMW would like. Some might like the new grille design but most of the comments and reviews of it seem to be a bit unhappy with its new look. However, cars typically look better in person than in stock photos. While we can’t actually really see the new M3 in person yet, we do have some live, in-person photos to share with you, which is the next best thing.

To be fair to the new BMW M3 and M4, they both look better in these photos than they did in the official BMW ones. Seeing them in the real world, where we can use their surroundings for scale and see how real light dances on the body work, does make a big difference.

It also helps that real world lighting actually helps to create shadows and show off lines in the body work, which really shows off just how good looking the rest of the cars are. Because of that, I find myself staring at the new grilles less and less and focusing more on every other aspect of both cars.

The BMW M4 is especially pretty. Outside of the new grille, it’s a lovely looking car, with great proportions and a really sleek design. It’s a bit more understated than the M3 and that gives it a prettier, more elegant look. Plus, I think we can all agree that Sao Paolo Yellow is killer.

We can’t wait to see the BMW M3 and M4 in person, and actually get our hands on it, so we can really see what it looks like and judge its new design. More than that, we can’t wait to actually drive both cars, as they should be quite fun. Their weight makes us a bit nervous (the M4 Comp is almost as heavy as an M8 Comp) but they should still be good driver’s cars. Until we actually get that chance, though, photos like these will have to suffice.

[Photos: @goeckii and @mrviamontis on Instagram]