BMW Gina Light Visionary Model- Cloth Car

[jdmgee35]

Instead of a metal or plastic body, BMW's latest concept, the GINA Light Visionary Model, drapes a flexible fabric material over a moveable wire mesh frame, creating a nearly seamless surface that can alter its form at the whim of the driver.

If you're feeling frisky, you can raise the tail like an angry dog, bulge the fenders as if you've injected them with steroids and reshape the sides of the car to transform it from a sleek roadster into an intimidating racer.

No need to lift the hood to get a look at the engine — it opens from the center like Hulk Hogan tearing off his T-shirt. Even the seats and the dashboard can be customized under their smooth surfaces to fit the desires of the occupants.

Of course BMW claims there are practical aspects to the design as well. The polyurethane-coated Lycra is significantly lighter than more rigid materials traditionally used for an automobile body, requiring less energy to produce it while reducing the overall weight of the car and making it more fuel-efficient.

All of the moveable parts are attached to a solid space frame platform that provides all of the safety found in a traditional design.

GINA won't be coming to showrooms anytime soon, but BMW hopes the overall design philosophy will rub off on some of its future models.

In the meantime, you can see GINA in the flesh at the BMW museum in Munich, Germany.


Link to the video (DEFINITELY worth watching):

http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/1397...w_concept.html

[Corvettekid]

Very cool find! Props to BMW. However, i dont know how that will make it to the roads. We need those "beams" he says, to brace an impact, etc. That being said, i think the coolest part of that ENTIRE car, is the headlights, how they open and close like that...

[WaLLy]

looks like a vagina!

[alphamatt]

Originally Posted by WaLLy

looks like a vagina!

lol a cool robots vagina



but im more concerned with the crash test video

[WaLLy]

Originally Posted by alphamatt

lol a cool robots vagina

it'll get wrinkly once it starts aging. Great, an old vagina!! lol

[GreenGoblin]

very cool video

[jdmgee35]

I wonder how you repair any damage. What if u accidentally drop something on it and tear the cloth? Do you have to pay thousands to replace the whole thing?

[speedraver]

Amazing concept! WOW!

[speedraver]

http://www.bmwblog.com/2008/06/10/bm...onary-concept/

[jaspergtr]

haha! you're showing too much engine cleavage...

[jaspergtr]

i like it... i might be able to make a bmw look good... again.

[JOKER]

[Greatwars]

interesting idea....

[InTgr8r]

very cool....

[SwivelHips]

Originally Posted by WaLLy

it'll get wrinkly once it starts aging. Great, an old vagina!! lol

See a lot of those, do ya WaLLy?

Hey, fabric covering worked on aircraft for decades, and not just puddle jumpers; the deHavilland Mosquito was good for over 450mph and was made mostly of plywood and fabric. So as long as the car's space frame is crash-worthy, it's all good, and I don't think the BMW engineers are going to miss that little detail. Off to watch the video.