Frightened clown was exactly what I though. It's a shame too, it looks quite fine on this picture that doesn't include the lower grille: http://releases.jalopnik.com/new-mini-makes…
Unfortunately every car maker is at it, not just BMW.
See Travis's post on the FP
The 2015 Mini Cooper! "Don't drive me down that road! I don't like twisties!"
So, if can I just leave this here? Quite an interesting article.