The original blue press photos of the refresh surprised me when they first came out:
(the lighting definitely didn't help though..).
I felt sort of indifferent about it at first but LOVE the front end now. I saw a white 2017, face to face, across an intersection one time when I was driving and knew I had to have one!
I agree, there are some angles that do take getting used to (although I can also say the same for the old bumper..those geometric CHEEKS on the sides!) but I think it's cool that there's NO other front end of a car out now that looks like it (maybe because its too bold and polarizing) and while i think the original front end has held up well and to me will continue to be timeless, I love the the little details toyota took to make tthe new front end a little more "grown up" (DLR and turn signals all in one tight and sharper birdlike headlight unit, 86 logo inside those headlights, canards, bigger air opening, way more swoopier and dynamic, no chubby cheeks!) and aggressive.
Also really like that you don't need an aftermarket front bumper to make it aggressive...seeing how it's already got freakin' fangs.
Some say that the looks don't match the car which I kind of agree with but from a personal standpoint one of the reasons why I chose this new front end over the old and both old and new brz's is because there really isn't too much going on with those models up front. They're clean! but maybe TOO clean for me...Plus i just like weird looking things I guess?
Also, it's crazy how much the lower lip looks like it sticks out (above) and DOESN't stick out (below) at certain angles. Part of the more dynamic and complex curves that i like about this new bumper! There's so many more lines and angles happening at different points of view on the bumper (and just in the "mustache"itself too!) that its almost shapeshifting/two different cars!
