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BMW Introduces GINA Concept Car, Covered In Fabric

Posted by kdawson on from the bend-me-shape-me dept.

smithtuna33 writes "Ever wondered what the metal skin on your car is actually good for? Engineers at BMW have decided that fabric might work just as well. The doors literally peel away from the side of the car, the engine bay opens up down the middle, and pretty much everything (such as headlamps) is hidden until the fabric reveals it. It is a stunning concept that has already been influencing BMW's designs. The video is well worth watching."

4 of 347 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Finally.. by mrbluze · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Just having watched the vid, it's quite a cool concept. Though I can well imagine a jealous walker-by accidentally slashing it with his pocket knife. That would ruin it a bit methinks.

    --
    Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
  2. Re:Finally.. by bruins01 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    What you're suggesting is the fabric analog of getting keyed. I imagine repairing a tear caused by a key, or a pocketknife, or a rock on the freeway, would be a lot less expensive if the repair consists only of replacing a piece of fabric.

    I'm more concerned about security. Would this feature make it easier to break into my car? Would it make it easier to sabotage or steal from my engine? My gas tank?

  3. Re:Keying by Miseph · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I tested this theory by keying my jeans... while it somewhat hurt my thigh, the cloth was quite unaffected.

    My conclusion: cloth is more resistant to minor cosmetic damage than painted sheet metal, and harder to cut than flash.*

    Seriously though, cloth is actually quite resistant to things like impact and scratching, which to me sounds like a great reason to make parts which are really prone to little other than cosmetic damage out of it (keep in mind that in a serious accident, the damage which we are concerned with is not to the painted sheet metal on the outside, it's to the frame and chassis... if those are essentially undamaged, then any damage is really just cosmetic). Even a flimsy t-shirt requires some serious twisting or a tremendous amount of blunt trauma to take any noticeable damage, and something like canvas is substantially tougher, not to mention Kevlar and other synthetics which are highly resistant even to sharp trauma.

    *Do not try this at home, goodness knows I didn't. All experimental data is fabricated... get it ated. I crack myself up.

    --
    Try not to take me more seriously than I take myself.
  4. Re:Finally.. by Muad'Dave · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Vandals can already do a significant amount of damage to a painted metal car body with a knife or even a coin.


    My favorite: Brake fluid. Very passive-agressive. Spray it on, and after a couple of days, the paint just sloughs off. I've never done it on purpose, but I did do it accidentally once 8-(.

    --
    Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.