BMW Fabric car

adrian j · Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:29 am Post subject: BMW Fabric car

Dont know if is a repost!

The BMW GINA (Geometry and Functions in ʽNʼ Adaptations) Light Visionary concept is BMWʼs future-focused design study on the possibilities offered by flexible coverings. Based on a 2-seater roadster platform, GINAʼs revolutionary exterior has allowed its designers to do away with the traditional body panel approach, concentrating on visual and structural lines rather than full body pieces. The stretched fabric follows the outlying lines and forms visually pleasing curves between them.
Check out more photos below

Opening the hood to work on the engine is like performing surgery - the fabric is opened down the middle of the bonnet and the sides are pulled apart to allow access. The safety aspect of the car is entirely handled by the structural frame beneath the skin.

GINAʼs doors donʼt have any external hinges - instead, the internal subframe tilts upward and the carʼs ʼskinʼ simply flexes as the door opens.

Click for full-size.

Its headlights are completely covered when theyʼre not in use, and when theyʼre switched on, the curve of the bonnet changes to accept higher side ridges as GINAʼs ʽeyesʼ open up.

The rear spoiler moves beneath the skin, creating extra downforce at higher speeds while maintaining slippery aerodynamics Making-a-Racket May-07 . The indicators and tail-lights are hidden, and shine through the skin, which is permeable to light, but not transparent, and the intake grille can adjust its size if more or less air is needed..

Click for full-size.

The effect from a design perspective is quite striking - and even if the GINA concept is mainly a styling exercise at the moment, it opens up some very cool possibilities down the track.

Multistructural cars could be built on a platform that, at its core, simply encompasses a rolling chassis, engine and interior, as well as moving structural elements that change the shape of the car completely. If the fabric can be rolled up somehow inside the structure, thereʼs no reason why it wouldnʼt be possible to design a sportscar that transforms into a hatch - or even a wagon - when extra carrying room is needed, finally allowing the sportscar to become a practical everyday vehicle as well.

Naturally, the flexible fabric would have to prove itself in terms of durability, resistance to tearing, puncture and road debris, road noise reduction and overall vehicle safety before GINA ever made it to the market, but itʼs fair to say this is one of the most fascinating and fundamentally revolutionary design studies the auto world has seen for some years.

by: adrian jacob