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BMW's Shape-Shifting Fabric Car

By Glen Taylor - June 11, 2008

in Object Culture

More on yesterday's Bimmer philo essay, Wired has a great article on BMW's GINA Light Visionary Model concept car. The body is made from a seamless polyurethane-coated Lycra fabric stretched over a moveable aluminum frame allowing the owner to change the car's shape. Purely conceptual, there is no intention of this technology ever going into production.

Chris Bangle, head of design for BMW, says GINA allowed his team to "challenge existing principles and conventional processes."

"It is in the nature of such visions that they do not necessarily claim to be suitable for series production," company officials said in unveiling the car Tuesday. "Rather, they are intended to steer creativity and research into new directions."

GINA (Geometry and functions In 'N' Adaptions) has been in development for six years, the working model is built on a Z8 chassis and has four panels which take about two hours to put on.

Chris Bangle explaining the design process.

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bahrtasai

16 years ago

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I think GINA is a nice idea except for the hood. It's seems like a good concept, but mechanics couldn't work on it because it doesn't open up wide enough to get to anything. Most of the price mechanics charge is for labor. It wouldn't hold up to a crash either. Great concept though.
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fcz

16 years ago

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this car reminded me of our neighbor's pushcart :-)
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Marcus

16 years ago

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Not a new idea - but none the less it is quite something else to see in the flesh - well done BMW...the irony of it though a fabric based car with no soft top roof ;-)
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visitor

16 years ago

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Great concept. I could see this cover on velomobiles, which usually have molded or fiberglass bodies
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