BMW construye auto de tela

BMW construyó un auto prototipo cubierto de «tela» basado en el Z8 y tiene como propósito retar los actuales principios y procesos convencionales en la industria.

La revista Wired publicó un artículo al respecto

Concept cars give automotive designers a chance to let their imaginations run wild, often with outlandish results. But even by that measure, BMW has come up with something as strange as it is innovative — a shape-shifting car covered with fabric.

Instead of steel, aluminum or even carbon fiber, the GINA Light Visionary Model has a body of seamless fabric stretched over a movable metal frame that allows the driver to change its shape at will. The car — which actually runs and drives — is a styling design headed straight for the BMW Museum in Munich and so it will never see production, but building a practical car wasn’t the point.

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

Y de hecho el prototipo no es nuevo:

Bangle and is team actually built GINA — which stands for «Geometry and functions In ‘N’ Adaptions» — six years ago, but BMW kept it under, er, wraps until Tuesday. It’s built on the Z8 chassis and has a 4.4-liter V8 and six-speed automatic transmission.

Además la forma del carro puede modificarse dinámicamente:

BMW says the fabric skin – polyurethane-coated Lycra – is resilient, durable and water resistant. It’s stretched over an aluminum frame controlled by electric and hydraulic actuators that allow the owner to change the body shape. Want a big spoiler on the back? Wider fenders?  No problem.

Algunas fotos:

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