BMW GINA.

                                           BMW GINA.

The GINA Light Visionary Model is a fabric-skinned shape-shifting sports car concept built by BMW.It is built on the Z8 chassis and has a 4.4-liter V8 and six-speed automatic transmission. 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.

The GINA Light Visionary concept is BMW's future-focused design study on the possibilities offered by flexible coverings. Based on a 2-seater roadster platform, GINA's revolutionary exterior has allowed its designers to do away with the traditional body panel approach concentrating on visual and structural lines rather than full body pieces. The stretched fabric follows the outlying lines and forms visually pleasing curves between them

GINA has just four panels the front hood, two sides and the rear deck. The doors open in jack-knife fashion and are completely smooth when closed; access to the engine is through a slit in the hood. BMW says the shape of the body can be changed without slackening or damaging the fabric. The fabric is opaque translucent so the taillights shine through, and small motors pull the fabric back to reveal the headlights.
The interior is equally innovative. The steering wheel and gauges swing into place and the headrest rises from the seat once the driver is seated, making it easier to get in and out of the car.The information on the best driver-specific position of both steering column and seat is stored in the transducer. The engine is started simply by pushing the start/stop button. BMW says GINA is built on a space frame that provides all the safety of a conventional car, but we suspect people - not to mention BMW’s lawyers and government regulators - wouldn’t embrace fabric bodies. Still, the company says GINA could influence the design of future Beemers.