BMW GINA Light Visionary Model

Bavarian Motor Works or BMW has been one of the most popular auto manufacturers since the onset of the 20th century.

When speaking about BMW, elegance, performance and convenience are always expected. That’s why with all the impressing high-performance and luxury vehicles that this manufacturer produces, more and more unique designs are yet to be revealed.

Lately, BMW just unveiled its latest design philosophy through a radical concept car. Publicized as the "game changer" for the "development of tomorrow's mobility,” such new BMW concept centers around the GINA principle, for Geometry and Functions in "N" Adaptions. With this concept, BMW shows its capability to think outside the box and introduce great ideas with the least amount of typical constraints on car designs.

The first translation of GINA philosophy is established in the Light Visionary Model concept. You may find something familiar out of it. And it might be the car's realistic 8-cylinder powertrain package residing in a roadster, built from an aluminum space-frame chassis with two double tailpipes. Moreover, you may find the 20-in. alloy wheels at the corners recognizable too. More important than these are the Visionary's exterior body that surely catches attention. This is skinned by four large pieces of flexible material, stretching and contracting based on a number of substructures. These will move about on the chassis through electro and electrohydraulic controls.

Four main pieces of skin make up the Visionary's body. The largest among these starts at the front and extends down to the base of the windscreen, and then across the two doors, ending at the rear edge. The next two fabric-like skins start at the front lower rocker panels. These run across the rear wheel arches to the back. The last piece of skin is making up the rear deck. The roadster's scissor-type doors are opened with its outer skin wrinkled in a very clearly defined pattern. These are however stretched back into a silky-smooth surface once the doors are shut. The fabric covering the Visionary's body is made from waterproof and temperature-resistant mesh netting on the outer layer. This is supported by a flexible metal-wire structure underneath so as to keep the skin's tension and smoothness regulated. Around the curvatures of the skin, you can find carbon struts added for higher flexibility and better shape of contours.

The GINA Light Visionary Model is attractive not only because of the fabric outer skin but also because of the utility in form following function. On the other hand, flexible skin causes the headlights to seem hiding or exposed whenever necessary. Side markers to signal lane changes are not seen on the outside until turned on. As these lights are lighted on, the beams shine through the translucent (but not transparent) cover.

The airflow around the car can be managed aggressively as the skin can be closed, opened or stretched relative to the necessity. The rocker-panel shape is made adjustable for better aerodynamics. And since the rear deck is covered by one single piece of fabric, the spoiler can be completely concealed when not in use.

With the appeal of GINA Light Visionary Model, BMW is in the forefront of creative automotive design. If you are not impressed yet, then check these out.