BMW GINA Light Visionary Model Concept
Now this is an interesting concept… a car with no sheet metal skin. The 2-seater BMW GINA’s dodgy name actually stands for “Geometry and functions In N Adaptations”, with N adaptations referring to the flexible outer skin of the car that is made out of cloth!
Under all that cloth is a special chassis structure which includes movable sub-frames to vary the outer layer of cloth according to the functionality needed. The cloth itself is a special highly durable and extremely expansion-resistant fabric material. The material remains dimensionally stable irrespective of the temperature and air humidity.
The cloth covers the structure seamlessly, and can adapt to various driving needs. For example, during the day when headlamps are not needed they are completely hidden away behind the cloth. The closed fabric cover over opens to the right and left of the BMW kidney grille and exposes the car’s headlamps. As for indicator lamps and rear brake lamps, they simply shine through the cloth.
The shape of the rear of the car can also be changed for different aerodynamic needs. A spoiler hidden under the cloth can be raised when needed, but still remains covered by the cloth. The rear just changes shape because the cloth now covers a raised spoiler.
The overall contours of the car morphs depending on how wide the kidney grilles at the front of the car is opened. The kidney grille size can be varied according to engine bay cooling requirements. The widening mechanism at the front of the car adds tension to the cloth on the rest of the body, and the result of this are character lines that change depending on the grille opening.
Will we ever see a car like this being made? What’s known is BMW designers have really thought out of the box when they thought up this concept. I think Chris Bangle himself can explain the GINA Concept better than I ever can, so watch a video of him explaining the BMW GINA Concept after the jump.
VIDEO: BMW GINA Light Visionary Model Concept
June 12, 2008 @ 3:54 am
If it’s (ever) to be implemented… when all metal based vehicles are extincted & on road speed is limited to Segway top-speed
June 12, 2008 @ 7:15 am
An ‘Ikan Bandaraya’ on the road.
June 12, 2008 @ 8:18 am
an option to evade increase in iron/metal cost? Wonder how this car look like if kena calar dgn pisau : )
June 12, 2008 @ 8:26 am
cloth? what’s the safety level? what happened when scratched?
unless if they could built an indestructible cloth, then this is possible.
June 12, 2008 @ 8:36 am
as a concept, this is probably the most original one in a long time.
June 12, 2008 @ 8:37 am
Custom made for Latex fetishists?
lol.
Good concept though. Cars don’t need metal skins.
June 12, 2008 @ 9:19 am
BanyakMasukWorkshop said,
June 12, 2008 @ 8:36 am
as a concept, this is probably the most original one in a long time.
—
second that.
I really love the way front light appear.
transformer huh!..
btw.. Omg! my car is ‘koyak’!.. i need a ‘tukang jahit’ then.. hehe
June 12, 2008 @ 9:26 am
It looks like a pitbull terrier!
June 12, 2008 @ 9:36 am
yaaa…no need go to the car wash anymore…just send the skin for a quick dry clean..hehehe…
June 12, 2008 @ 10:00 am
Do we need an iron if it get crumpled? And will the cloth withstand extent heat from engine bay? Imagine under the red hot sun and a terrible jem. Suddenly engine on fire and burn the cloth. Whole car gone.
Or mabbe if someone throw their cigarettes tip on this car, and it burnt a few holes or mabbe whole car on fire again.
June 12, 2008 @ 10:05 am
Never drive this car with a cigarettes on your hand.
June 12, 2008 @ 12:23 pm
I don’t think BMW is that stupid to produce a fabric material that is not durable or even not to withstand extreme temperature. So koyak or cigarette burns should not be an issue here.
June 12, 2008 @ 12:30 pm
Believe it or not they got the inspiration from umbrellas… thanks Rihanna for that.
June 12, 2008 @ 1:57 pm
Paultan writes,
“The cloth itself is a special highly durable and extremely expansion-resistant fabric material. The material remains dimensionally stable irrespective of the temperature and air humidity.”
Which part of these you guys don’t understand and keep making remarks on the durability of the fabric?
June 12, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
So next time we can buy more clothes for the car as well. If we go dinner, we make dinner dress to the car, if we go sea side, we give her a nice bikini to wear.
Wait! we still need the bra, g strings……OMG! what else…
Jusk kidding, great job BMW
June 12, 2008 @ 2:45 pm
VIDEO: BMW GINA Light Visionary Model Concept
Dude, the main point is this^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
See the “ambient light”? It will be metal based head/rear light..Meaning, when the head/rear light were switched on, there will be light, and it will turn back to metal look when it’s off..
The happiest part was, it was one of my expected imaginary future car that will come into live instead of changes on body streamline only.
June 12, 2008 @ 2:47 pm
then all the “makkat lou” will need to change their job, lol..
June 12, 2008 @ 3:16 pm
Raining then the car will shrink like Mr Bean’s teddy bear goes bathing inside the washing machine… Hehe…
Anyway, really cool and awesome idea from BMW. Very fashionable!
June 12, 2008 @ 5:00 pm
Any idea how light is this car? And how fast can it go? Imagine you’re driving a 200km/h. How will you feel?
If you crash this car, I think you have to buy a new 1. Or mabbe the driver will end up like the car. OX
June 12, 2008 @ 5:17 pm
nice job BMW resercher.. keep it up.. may be for the next few year.. this concept car will gliding in our road?? jz but the t-shirt at the supermarket if u wanna change the color..
June 12, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
No more Ironman next time, it’s Clothman’s turn…
COOL!!!
June 12, 2008 @ 7:52 pm
So creative!! Next; the cloth will be able to display image like the LCD..so that people can change the appearance of their car instantly, just like the display of handset…
June 12, 2008 @ 8:17 pm
carsut said,
June 12, 2008 @ 5:17 pm
nice job BMW resercher.. keep it up.. may be for the next few year.. this concept car will gliding in our road?? jz but the t-shirt at the supermarket if u wanna change the color..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Then there will be pirated “cloths”..lol….u know Malaysian, right?~
June 12, 2008 @ 8:43 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP_1oPFQ1PI
June 12, 2008 @ 9:04 pm
Can you imagine how much it will be to replace that cloth. Imagine koyak here and there. Must change the whole skin as its one big unit.
Another thing is that they have to make the car even more lightweight and lightweight moving parts to pull the cloth into place. I can imagine someone trying to rest on the hood and crash into the engine. Nice idea, way way into the future
June 12, 2008 @ 9:23 pm
This reminds me of the 1st world war fighter as it was fabric covered. But this one is going to be seriously for non-smokers.
June 12, 2008 @ 9:24 pm
the structure n chassis is still using metal la
if not how 2 hold all the part 2gather
oni the skin is cloth
hehe
mayb in future reli can change car ‘clothes’ to suit my daily waredrob
June 12, 2008 @ 9:59 pm
I think they will use Kevlar in the future for chassis durability.
June 13, 2008 @ 12:20 am
DAMN!, the way the eye opens up, its as if the car was alive!
freaky!
but pretty cool at the same time.
cheaper,faster to make, easier to replace, lighter. more fuel efficient.
kudos to the Brings Me Women brand.
June 13, 2008 @ 12:29 am
the fabric is neoprene…
try look in wikipedia to understand more
June 13, 2008 @ 1:42 am
hohoho~~
Gina blinks its eyes in tat video~~
June 13, 2008 @ 10:33 am
why u guys so naive n bunch of fools…
this is purely a concept…
to practice the design n shape of a car…
for me it’s damb blardy cool…
koyak lah, burn lah, crumple lah…
u guys think they gonna built it without thinking on the safety issues…
apalah…
June 13, 2008 @ 2:25 pm
Hey this is one great concept that doesn’t even cross my mind!
Truly original and cool.
June 13, 2008 @ 3:32 pm
BMW in gown! No wonder its name is GINA… feminine intuitive.
June 14, 2008 @ 10:25 am
Could this be the new Z8 generation??I don’t think our Malaysian wheather will do any good to the cloth though..
June 14, 2008 @ 10:49 am
Damn.. I saw the trailer at you tube.. cool eh..
Reall like how the front headlight open up.. but at the back why dont they do the same..haiya..
Can proton do like this? Make a batik or kain pelekat car sure cool! patriotic hahaha