Shape Shifting BMW (va)GINA

[Heathen]

The Shape-Shifting BMW GINA: Can You Say Transformers?

http://thehottestgadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/bmw_gina.jpgWhat you see above is the BMW GINA Light, and this car has a body made entirely out of high tech seamless fabric which is stretched over a metal frame. So it won’t turn into Optimus Prime and blast Decepticons, but it can transform. The body shape of this car can be changed at will by the driver.
The material on the exterior of this car is stretched over an aluminum frame which is controlled by hydraulics so you can change the shape of the car as you see fit. That means you can automatically make the spoiler higher, or widen out the fenders to fit your personal taste.
Words cannot explain how cool it looks when it shifts shapes. Check out the video and see for yourself.
kTYiEkQYhWY

This shape-shifting car is a concept car that was developed by BMW to “challenge existing principles and conventional processes.” The GINA is built on the same chassis as the BMW Z8 and it has a six-speed automatic transmission with a 4.4 liter V8 engine.

[Bodzilla]

Gina's come in all shapes and sizes.

[LlamaMaster]

Gina's come in all shapes and sizes.
Glad to know I'm not the only one who thought it.

[Heathen]

Glad to know I'm not the only one who thought it.
naw, I been pronouncing it the "Bumwagina."
BMWGINA

[Hotrod]

Wow, that's really cool, I'm really interested in seeing all the stuff they can do with this.

[SnaFuBAR]

leave it to modacity members to huddle around their screens laughing like beavis and butthead. "huh...huhhuh... he said GINA"

This is the kind of stuff we talked over in design school. Innovation in materials and surfaces, etc. Great to see BMW taking lead and innovation to the industry once again.

[Heathen]

Innovation
My main focus is


What if the material rips? Now you have to get it put back on...which takes "2 hours"
Washing it...how dirt resistant is it?

[Sel]

That's fucking sweet.

[Choking Victim]

Seems like a dumb idea tbqh. What happens when the material ages, does it tear? What about cleaning it? I'm not saying I know much (if anything) about cars, it just doesn't seem like a good idea to put a material like this on a car. I don't disagree with it because its out of the norm, but because it just poses alot of new issues with car maintenance. It looks cool, i'll give it that.

Edit:

My main focus is


What if the material rips? Now you have to get it put back on...which takes "2 hours"
Washing it...how dirt resistant is it?



You left a funny taste when you took the words out of my mouth. :3

[Heathen]

http://i.somethingawful.com/forumsystem/emoticons/emot-words.gif (javascript:cb(':words:');)
<3

Great inquisitions CV.

[English Mobster]

I WASN'T EXPECTING THE SPANISH INQUISITION![/Monty Python]

Anyway, looks cool. Again, I'd be concerned about dirt and whatnot, what the other guys said.

[cheezdue]

It says the video is no longer available. :saddowns:

[Limited]

It says the video is no longer available. :saddowns:
Yea same here, I had to click the video to load it from youtube website.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTYiEkQYhWY

Good idea, but wouldnt work well in real world, might work well for car interiors.

What happens if you crash? You are basically fucked.

[Heathen]

Yea same here, I had to click the video to load it from youtube website.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTYiEkQYhWY

Good idea, but wouldnt work well in real world, might work well for car interiors.

What happens if you crash? You are basically fucked.
Uh...with plastic and tinfoil you are fucked too.

The metal isn't for safety you know....

And all the safety and crash resistant stuff is under the cloth so your just as safe...

Also, I fixed the vidja.

[Joshflighter]

Hmm, I seen this ALONG time ago... :o

[Heathen]

Hmm, I seen this ALONG time ago... :o
Yo no entiendo

[Wakeboy1337]

I honestly felt a little weirded out to see the car open its eyes and wink at the end of the video.

[Rentafence]

Cylons

[Heathen]

I honestly felt a little weirded out to see the car open its eyes and wink at the end of the video.
But think of the senoritas man.

Winking at chicks as they peep your tight car in the rear view.

In all srsness, I love the more organic feel to the car.
Its more...settling.

[SnaFuBAR]

My main focus is


What if the material rips? Now you have to get it put back on...which takes "2 hours"

2 hours. Big fucking deal. Getting a dent taken out takes just as long.


Washing it...how dirt resistant is it?

what would be the difficulty of washing this? Do you know about polyethylene materials? They're very durable.



Seems like a dumb idea tbqh. What happens when the material ages, does it tear? What about cleaning it? I'm not saying I know much (if anything) about cars, it just doesn't seem like a good idea to put a material like this on a car. I don't disagree with it because its out of the norm, but because it just poses alot of new issues with car maintenance. It looks cool, i'll give it that.

Again, polyethylene materials. There's nothing dumb about it. It's not that you don't know much/anything about cars, you just don't know about construction materials. We can build a car that's lighter, faster, more fuel efficient and safer out of styrene plastics than steel. You might think that's stupid, but you just don't know about it. Car maintenance wouldn't be any more of a big deal than it is now.
.

[Mr Buckshot]

Cool, I love BMWs although I've never had one of my own. Hope this turns out better than iDrive though...iDrive was total trash at first release (2002), it became tolerable after many updates, but only now (starting 2008) has iDrive actually been well-executed (new 7-series and 3-series).

[Limited]

Underneath the skin is the metal like structure yes, however thats powered by hydraulic. I dont really want to crash my car and have hydraulic rods flying all over the shot, hydraulic fluid going everywhere and secondly I just dont believe it will be able to take an impact very well. Cars today are specially designed to take an impact, they need to be rigid but crumple in a certain way, to defuse the kneitic energy that the crash causes. On a car like this I dont see that happening well enough.

[Hotrod]

Underneath the skin is the metal like structure yes, however thats powered by hydraulic. I dont really want to crash my car and have hydraulic rods flying all over the shot, hydraulic fluid going everywhere and secondly I just dont believe it will be able to take an impact very well. Cars today are specially designed to take an impact, they need to be rigid but crumple in a certain way, to defuse the kneitic energy that the crash causes. On a car like this I dont see that happening well enough.
As it was said earlier, it isn't the metal/plastic on the car that make it safe from crashes, it's the actual frame that protects the passengers inside. So, this car is as well designed against crashes as any other cars.

[Joshflighter]

Yo no entiendo

I visto esto en youtube a lo largo hace del tiempo. :)

[itszutak]

eeee...

It's just a bit too close to...organic for me. The headrests rising out of the seat, the way the hood splits open, the eyes...Just a bit too creepy for me. :/

However, I do welcome our machine-living hybrid overlords.

[Cortexian]

When the hood split open it made me feel dirty. What the fuck.

[ThePlague]

Just shows how far we can go with vehicles.

[Heathen]

.
Good reply, hadn't considered that.

Now how resistant to heat is it? Like say...the engine.

[Bodzilla]

leave it to modacity members to huddle around their screens laughing like beavis and butthead. "huh...huhhuh... he said GINA"
:smith:

my bad.
but it was begging for it D:

[English Mobster]

I visto esto en youtube a lo largo hace del tiempo. :)
What? Something about the weather?

DAMN YOU SLOW SPANISH 1 LEARNING CURVE.

[Limited]

As it was said earlier, it isn't the metal/plastic on the car that make it safe from crashes, it's the actual frame that protects the passengers inside. So, this car is as well designed against crashes as any other cars.
Um, they have a huge part in a crash. The bodywork of the card is what saves you in a crash, the underlining structure needs to stay almost perfectly in tacked.

This bodywork, would be the "skin" of this BMW, as you can see it isnt very strong.

I also dont see how they can effectively separate the different surface types that are required to create a safe car, such as bumpers, wing panels, side panels, side pillars etc.

[Llama Juice]

Is this seriously the first time most of you have seen this?

Silly kids.

It is neat though :P

[Hotrod]

Um, they have a huge part in a crash. The bodywork of the card is what saves you in a crash, the underlining structure needs to stay almost perfectly in tacked.

This bodywork, would be the "skin" of this BMW, as you can see it isnt very strong.

I also dont see how they can effectively separate the different surface types that are required to create a safe car, such as bumpers, wing panels, side panels, side pillars etc.
I guess I see what you mean. In that case, there must be some kind of panels underneath that let it stay intact...

[Joshflighter]

Is this seriously the first time most of you have seen this?

Silly kids.

It is neat though :P


That's what I said (different wording), and I got him speaking in Spanish to meh. :rolleyes:

[Gwunty]

I visto esto en youtube a lo largo hace del tiempo. :)
Tu español esta mas terrible ke la topologÃ*a de hunter.

[Heathen]

Tu español esta mas terrible ke la topologÃ*a de hunter.
Lol, get off hunter's topography's dick.

[SnaFuBAR]

I guess I see what you mean. In that case, there must be some kind of panels underneath that let it stay intact...
there are no panels. it's a space-frame.

[Bodzilla]

you guys realize the what gives it shape is the metal frames lifted by hydrolics.

hint metal frame.

[Hotrod]

there are no panels. it's a space-frame.
Hmm, well then it'll be interesting to see how this all works out.

[Limited]

you guys realize the what gives it shape is the metal frames lifted by hydrolics.

hint metal frame.
Which has to be ultra flexible and probably not strong.

Then again this is a concept car, and probably wont ever be created like its shown in video.

[n00b1n8R]

hint: in a head on collision, the majority of the actual stopping crumple comes from your engine.
Which is still in there.

[SnaFuBAR]

Which has to be ultra flexible and probably not strong.
No.


hint: in a head on collision, the majority of the actual stopping crumple comes from your engine.
NO.

[Limited]

Have they mentioned what material it will be, maybe kevlar will be an appropriate solution, Nascars use it as it doesnt breakup.

If they did produce this car, I'd feel very unsafe being in it. Then again I probably wouldnt buy, its bloody BMW.

[Heathen]

No.


NO.
:/ I cant get them to understand that....

The Plastic and Metal around a normal car has almost nothing to do with the safety.
Normally I try to say something that shows that I am trying to find a middle ground between our points, but you are just wrong.

[Atty]

If I'm not mistaken car bodies are designed specifically to crumble in certain ways to avoid bodily injury to the passengers. They don't limit front end impact saftey and just say, "hurf the hundred of thousands of dollars of research we put into that engine right thur can just stop dur car k gaiz," that would be ridiculous. Although any of you saying that, I wouldn't be suprised by that.

Anyway, if this type of car ever made it to production it would be plenty safe, this is BMW you know. One of the top luxary car manufacterurs in the world, who pride them selves on three things, the luxary of their cars, the perfromace of their cars, and the saftey of them. I doubt they will sacrifice any of those, especially saftey, becuase in this world saftey is paramount. None of BMW's market will buy this car when they see on TV, "BMW GINA crumbles and kills it's two passengers in a 25mph traffic collision, lowest saftey rating from BMW in years." hurrrrrrr

[Limited]

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Crash-Test-BMW-Z4_147382.htm

Thats a Z4 crash test, as you can see it wasnt good at taking a crash.

Thats with standard metals, just imagine the new material on that. Would be a death trap.

Airbag hits windscreen, legs pretty much 100% certainty they are broken. Car got a 4 star rating for it, however thats at a low speed. 40mph I think.

[DOMINATOR]

the problem with the would be keeping it clean. obviously it is pretty resistant to damage and natural weathering effects like Snaf mentioned but how is it 100% water repelent? must be expensive material if it can move like that and be that strong/resistant.

[Atty]

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Crash-Test-BMW-Z4_147382.htm

Thats a Z4 crash test, as you can see it wasnt good at taking a crash.

Thats with standard metals, just imagine the new material on that. Would be a death trap.

Airbag hits windscreen, legs pretty much 100% certainty they are broken. Car got a 4 star rating for it, however thats at a low speed. 40mph I think.Do you actually know what you are talking about or did you just read the comments and draw your own uninformed opinion to try and assert yourself as being somewhat intelligent?

[Limited]

So you all assume this will be safe on the road?

Considering the material is spandex, I personally dont believe that. You can see its not strong because it wrinkles up when the doors open.

Plus BMW have said, this will never ever get produced, it is solely for conceptional purposes. They may use it for interiors, thats my personal belief.

[Bodzilla]

So you all assume this will be safe on the road?

Considering the material is spandex, I personally dont believe that. You can see its not strong because it wrinkles up when the doors open.

Plus BMW have said, this will never ever get produced, it is solely for conceptional purposes. They may use it for interiors, thats my personal belief.
limited quit while your behind duder.

you still dont get it.
BUT IT COULDNT POSSIBLY BE SAFE BECAUSE.... WELL the thing that has absolutely nothing with making the car safe doesnt exist.

[itszutak]

FYI, sheet metal crumples like paper in a collision.

[Con]

I can't really warm up to this concept, and I think it's destined to stay in the BMW museum. Maybe I'll be wrong in 30 years, but for now It's too different

[kenney001]

I cant see this stuff stopping any of the debris in a crash, or any sort of protruding metal

[SnaFuBAR]

Are you guys retarded?

[Mr Buckshot]

iirc, I believe the front part of a car is MEANT to crumple in a collision, especially at high speed, to prevent too much momentum from being transferred to the passengers.

[Limited]

^ Yeah, I though it was pretty common knowledge. Turns out it isnt.

[Needles]

That looks pretty awesome. But I don't think it would be a very affordable or cheap car.

[SnaFuBAR]

iirc, I believe the front part of a car is MEANT to crumple in a collision, especially at high speed, to prevent too much momentum from being transferred to the passengers.

unless it's made in china


That looks pretty awesome. But I don't think it would be a very affordable or cheap car.

since when did BMW focus on making cheap/affordable cars??

[Needles]

unless it's made in china



since when did BMW focus on making cheap/affordable cars??
Good point.

[Mass]

Are you guys retarded?
Yes, for the love of god it's a frame like a roll-cage with attached electric(?) pistons that let it move a skin which is a super-strong cloth that is waterproof/fireproof/hard as fuck to tear. What is there to get about IT'S PERFECTLY SAFE.

But the fact that you are all so smugly speculative and worried shows it probably won't sell. vOv

[Mr Buckshot]

unless it's made in china


made in china =/= designed in china

BMW manufactures the 3 series and 5 series directly in China (not cheap, but far more affordable than import models) and they're just as good/safe as those made in Germany. They are locally produced in other to avoid all those high taxes and shit.

Volkswagen and Audi have the highest foreign market share of the Chinese car market because they produce the safest cars there (the Audis there are also cheaper than the US counterparts, not the BMWs though). For this reason, the majority of Chinese taxicabs in big cities are Volkswagens because they're much safer than Chinese brand sedans.

[Corndogman]

since when did BMW focus on making cheap/affordable cars??

Probably not affordable by a BMW standpoint. For instance an upper middle class family could afford a BMW, but wouldn't be able to afford this one.

[rossmum]

Pretty interesting, although like a lot of these amazing concept cars, I seriously doubt it'll ever see the light of day in any kind of numbers. Not for a fairly long time, anyway.

It's not rare for a concept for the next iteration of an established model to look really incredible, only to have the end product look like a slightly sleeker, slightly curvier edit of the original car. It's equally common for advanced concepts to just stall and never see a true application. I like the idea, but I'm not going to get excited over it until this actually enters large-scale production. Until then, it's just a more expensive, more tangible form of 'what-if' daydreaming in my book.

[Limited]

Yes, for the love of god it's a frame like a roll-cage with attached electric(?) pistons that let it move a skin which is a super-strong cloth that is waterproof/fireproof/hard as fuck to tear. What is there to get about IT'S PERFECTLY SAFE.

But the fact that you are all so smugly speculative and worried shows it probably won't sell. vOv

Dude, the cloth is spandex.

[Bodzilla]

I DONT UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE ARE TELLING ME THEREFORE THEY MUST BE WRONG!
sup. :rape:

[Limited]

Bod, why the fuck do you think some areas of cars are made from metal and other areas are made from fibre glass and metal? The outer coating I'm talking about.

The outer coating DOES play a part in defusing the kinetic energy from a crash. Its like jumping off a building into a pile of cardboard boxes. They take the movement energy that is transposed onto you, and compress it.

I suggest you read this article.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/crumple-zone.htm/printable

I'm not suggesting the body works is the sole crumple zone, yes frames within the card do take alot of the load, but they are not the sole distributor, the outer coating of the car plays a vital role.

[Heathen]

Dude, the cloth is spandex.
yes, and the inside is made of your precious metal. Face it dude...its just as safe without the 2 millimeters of plastic and metal as it is with the skin.

JUST
AS
SAFE

[Bodzilla]

i cant read this thread anymore.

my IQ keeps spiralling down the longer i'm in here.
chow

[Mass]

Bod, why the fuck do you think some areas of cars are made from metal and other areas are made from fibre glass and metal? The outer coating I'm talking about.

The outer coating DOES play a part in defusing the kinetic energy from a crash. Its like jumping off a building into a pile of cardboard boxes. They take the movement energy that is transposed onto you, and compress it.

I suggest you read this article.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/crumple-zone.htm/printable

I'm not suggesting the body works is the sole crumple zone, yes frames within the card do take alot of the load, but they are not the sole distributor, the outer coating of the car plays a vital role.
Ummm, normal cars don't have a space frame, this does.

It -->replaces<-- the pressed steel body's strength.

Not that I expect you to understand the tenth time, but just in case.

[bobbysoon]

I want one. And lots of coke and money, and some hookers, and a gun. And diplomatic immunity. That'd be cool. I'd make the car snort lines, at gunpoint

[Kalub]

Only thing I don't like is how it wrinkles. But, that's not a big deal. It looks cool.

[Heathen]

Only thing I don't like is how it wrinkles. But, that's not a big deal. It looks cool.
Same actually.

Like watching Grandma do nude yoga.

[Kalub]

Wow, dude, you took it to far there.


Things that make you go, "Bwuuugh."