BMW Introduces GINA Concept Car, Covered In Fabric 347
smithtuna33 writes "Ever wondered what the metal skin on your car is actually good for? Engineers at BMW have decided that fabric might work just as well. The doors literally peel away from the side of the car, the engine bay opens up down the middle, and pretty much everything (such as headlamps) is hidden until the fabric reveals it. It is a stunning concept that has already been influencing BMW's designs. The video is well worth watching."
Re:Very cool (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Very cool (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Sounds interesting... (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Finally.. (Score:5, Informative)
There are already plenty of fabrics which are resistant to casual slashes, and some in the pipeline which are even more durable [slashdot.org].
Vandals can already do a significant amount of damage to a painted metal car body with a knife or even a coin. If the repair costs of the fabric are competitive with metal, it might even reduce costs over the life of the vehicle.
Re:stupid? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Sounds interesting... (Score:3, Informative)
Taken from the press release found here [worldcarfans.com]
Re:hope they thought this through (Score:3, Informative)
Re:hope they thought this through (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Finally.. (Score:5, Informative)
There are fabrics that can withstand a running chainsaw [wikipedia.org], and they are in common use.
Likewise, stab or cut-resistant Vectran fabric [scoop.co.nz] is now relatively common. I've worn turn-out gear which is designed to resist that sort of damage, and while it's expensive, it isn't prohibitively so.
Re:Finally.. (Score:2, Informative)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Spitfire [wikipedia.org]
It works on airplanes (Score:5, Informative)
Re:There's a frame under the fabric (Score:4, Informative)
even ordinary cars are basically thin metal stretched over a cage, that's why the door pillars and windscreen are made from hefty bars, the thin bit of metal in your doorframe isn't going to save you from a side-on collision, but the door pillar will. So, I can't see this being any less safe simply because the bit in between are more obvious.
I think the most important aspect of reduced safety would be in crumple zones, a strut-based car wouldn't necessarily have these, or at least to the same extent that an ordinary car has.
Don't forget a lot of cars are made from carbon-fibre now. This wouldn't be any real difference to them.
Re:Appropriate name (Score:3, Informative)
I have many friends in the engineering profession and they all make over $80K, including the engineer at a silicone breast making facility.
Another one that comes to mind is an engineer in sales and makes a $70K base and $50K+ commission + bonuses.
Changing to a business major doesn't guarantee that type of salary, only a starting of $45K or less as based upon a recent graduate I know.
Not an *entirely* new idea (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Not an *entirely* new idea (Score:3, Informative)