BMW GINA Light Visionary Concept - WTF

flyingfridge

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[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTYiEkQYhWY[/YOUTUBE]

It's made of cloth?! WTF!?

WorldCarFans said:
Would you like to have a car that can assume different shapes? You may think technology has not gone so far, but complicated things can be made out of simple ideas. Just check out the attached images for this article - they may seem to be of slightly different vehicles, but they are only different appearances BMW?s new changing concept car is able to perform. The Bavarian automaker has named it GINA Light Visionary Model Concept Car, and the car can assume different shapes due to the material the body is built from: cloth.


The fabric is placed over a meshwork of metal wires that can move, controlled by electro-hydraulic devices. As you can imagine, this is the way the car manages to change its shape as many times as the person behind the wheel decides to do so. GINA does not change only the exterior, but also the interior. We believe describing the process may not be as interesting as seeing it in motion, so we will pay careful attention to the video BMW will surely disclose in coming days.

Although it is very unlikely that such a car ever finds its way into production lines any time soon, GINA as a design exercise can surely help BMW shape its future vehicles. Considering the car body can change, it may help BMW designers in the future decide what lines looked better on the car.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/9080610.002/bmw-gina-light-visionary-model-concept-car-revealed

Potentially one of the coolest concepts ever :eek:
 
weird....
 
That's very cool - weird and out-there for sure, but definitely cool. I'm not convinced I'd want a car that changes shape - after all if you get it looking right in the first place you don't need it to be a shape-shifter, and the changes would be restrained by spaceframe underneath. But the details like having a bonnet peel open like you're opening the car's chest and revealing it's heart are very nice.
 
That's about the coolest thing I've seen in a very long time. :shock2:
 
That's just...... fantastic. The rear lights under the cloth, the headlights opening like eyes, the way the doors open without seperate sheets. Oh, and the bonnet.... Brilliant is what it is.
 
Wow, that is amazing, especially the bonnet.

They seriously need to use this in a movie, soon!
 
That's just.....wow.

The possibilities for something like this are tantalizing. Variable downforce? Making the car more streamlined at highway speeds? (and more than just a wing on the back this time) Getting around pedestrian safety regulations by having the hood nice and low most of the time, but puffing up if there's a collision? Being able to wash the car by taking the skin off and putting it in your washing machine?

Plus, the gapless body and "eyes" are just too freaking cool! :eek:
 
That was really cool.....^_^ Crazy o_O But really cool :thumbsup:

I LOVE those headlights. :cool:
 
And think of all the weight you save. :thumbup:

I just wonder how they solve the problem of cloth wobbling at high speeds. But then again, this is more of a showpiece for a way to go, rather than something we'll see soon I guess.
 
i love how it winks at the end of the vid :D
 
Thats really awesome.

Now, about a production model....
 
I should hate Chris Bangle for ruining the M5, but everytime you hear him talk its as though the man is a genius.
 
Interesting, but I wouldn't buy one. I see all sorts of problems with that skin wearing out or getting torn or punctured with daily use.
 
well, now that is, but wait a few years. You can already build metals, that change their form based on temperature........
 
This isn't really going to translate into a car. Sadly. It's just a nice showcase of ideas and a different take on what a car could be.
 
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