[hooner35]

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/10/b...odel-revealed/
Check out the vid, too.

Sorry, repost!

[Ragenikon]

Not sure about the shape of the car or the fact that it looks like a bat about to take off...other then that i love seeing BMW look for possibilities far into the future....cool stuff man

[Jumpman]

Cool stuff. I like the idea of a skinned car. I wonder how it would hold up in actual driving conditions over the years. Would it fade, etc. Of course, you could probably just get a new skin for $1k or something.

[plien69]

From this concept, you can see how the design vocabulary of Bangle's Flame Surfacing was inspired. When you first see the car in the video, you're thinking "Ok, looks like a normal, next-gen Z concept car"

Then the doors move, and you realize the body is not sheetmetal, but fabric, and the surfaces are defined by the interaction of the fabric tension and the supporting struts underneath.

This tension, this dynamic, gives the surfaces a taut, toned, look, which is what I believe BMW designers were aiming for. You can see it in elements across the line: the hood of the 5 series, the character line in the E92, The Z4s of course, and in the strong shoulder of E82.

You can also see the concept evolved slightly in the CS Concept, elements of which I believe you'll see in the new 7 series.

[RobLS]

I think it looks sick, but an amazing piece of art overall.

[RobLS]

Oh I just thought of something, you wouldn't have to worry about door dings!

[ChrisK]

If you get in an accident, just tumble dry for 30 minutes. Don't forget the fabric softener. This is very strange to say the least.

[ichiban]

I think if they can apply this technology to the car, it'll be even more amazing.

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Ne...y/07010801.asp

[RobLS]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

If you get in an accident, just tumble dry for 30 minutes. Don't forget the fabric softener. This is very strange to say the least.

Haha yeah, so easy to wash then.

[RobLS]

Originally Posted by ichiban

I think if they can apply this technology to the car, it'll be even more amazing.

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Ne...y/07010801.asp

It would, but do you mean to the fabric or a regular car? With a car it might be possible, but once the texture of that wears away, then it will be like normal again, and for people who want a clear coat and polish/wax, it will render it useless. Can still vibrate to get some of the effect, but not the total effect of what that technology can do.

[SAM_702]

If the fabric was kevlar, bulletproof!!! Because of the skin, it transform into a hang glider just in case you misjudge your drift on a cliffside road! 007...may I have a 001, shaken, not stirred!

[Skulinex]

that is the base design concept for the only other car i would consider over the 135i, the next Z4 with the 3.0TT

[ichiban]

Originally Posted by RobLS

It would, but do you mean to the fabric or a regular car? With a car it might be possible, but once the texture of that wears away, then it will be like normal again, and for people who want a clear coat and polish/wax, it will render it useless. Can still vibrate to get some of the effect, but not the total effect of what that technology can do.

You wouldn't need to wash it, no water spots doesn't collect dust (dust particles are much too big to fit between the nails).

[TrojanBMW]

Despite the flexibility of the material you still need to get the sunroof in the US. . .

[InsaneSkippy]

That's amazing. $20 bucks says they find a way to make it color-changing skins as well.

[blackbubblebum]

its not going to make it past the concept stage.

[plien69]

Originally Posted by jzhang1013

its not going to make it past the concept stage.

Do you mean the GINA concept itself, or the general concept of flexible car skins?

[Mic]

...

[RobLS]

Was posted yesterday. *edit* looks like they dragged this post in here. Now that I'm back in here though, DAMN that concept is awesome!