A car covered with cloth is something you would associate with the Flintstones, not the cutting edge of 21st century automotive design. But BMW’s latest concept car is exactly that - and it can change shape at the touch of a button.
The Gina - which at first glance looks like any other flashy sports car - is encased in fabric instead of metal panels. Open the door and the slinky fabric creases and wrinkles like skin. Turn on the headlights and the covers peel up like giant eyelids - designed to make the sporty roadster more aerodynamic.
And its seamless skin - a single piece of durable fabric - can be morphed at the flick of a switch to suit its owner’s mood, offering an aggressive or classic look.
There is no need to lift the bonnet to get a look at the engine of this flexible motor - it opens from the centre like Hulk Hogan tearing off his T-shirt. Opening and closing is similar to the mechanism on a doctor’s traditional medical bag, where clip-lock fasteners are held together in the middle by a rail.
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 the car in the flesh at the BMW museum in Munich source
Leave a Reply