Neither the old LRPC concept nor this newer one has ever had an "M1 style front," and it can't have moved away from something it never had. If the question is, "why doesn't it share the M1 look," see this post in the mATX concept thread, which applies here as well. I design around the functional elements, and the M1 style front won't necessarily work with where things need to be in this layout.Why have you moved away from the m1 style front? I thought this was great and reinforced a brand style like many car manufacturers do.
The last image you post make it just look like a boring box imo.
More generally though, and at the risk of sounding pretentious, what I'm striving for is essential design; that is, design reduced to its essence functionally, executed in an aesthetic way. It's not trying to be anything it's not; it is honest about what it is. See Dieter Rams' ten principles of good design.
There are plenty of "exciting" cases on the market, but they are invariably ugly to my eye. I don't mind my designs being called boring, if they nevertheless are able to meet the criteria of being honest and aesthetic.