Recently BMW displayed a concept car it calls GINA, short for Geometry and Functions In "N" Adaptions. The company created this low-slung roadster to push the limits of design and explore new ways to use materials.
Looking a lot like a Z4, GINA follows BMW's current design language with swooping arcs and varying contours. But that's where the similarities end. The first thing you notice about the car is its matte finish. Amazingly though it has nothing to do with the type of paint used and everything to do with unconventional thinking.
Instead of traditional metal or plastic body panels GINA uses a waterproof fabric stretched over a framework of supports and guy wires. It's exactly the same construction technique used by World War I aircraft. And while this Fokker-inspired design may seem like an antiquated way to build a car, it has a bunch of advantages.
One of the biggest benefits of using fabric instead of conventional materials has to do with weight. Metal and even plastic body panels add a lot of mass to a car. If a vehicle used fabric instead, automakers could easily shave off several hundred pounds.
Besides being lighter, a fabric body would also be cheaper, way cheaper. It costs automakers hundreds of millions of dollars to cut stamping dies. Eliminating the need for body panels could save them a fortune on each vehicle they build. These savings can add up fast too because automakers refresh and restyle vehicles far more frequently than they used to. Changing the look of a fabric-covered car would be a piece of cake compared to one with steel panels.
But these aren't the only savings. An all-fabric body would also cost a lot less from a materials standpoint. Fabric is dirt cheap compared to steel, a fact that's especially true today as iron prices soar. A car without metal body panels could probably save several hundred dollars in materials alone.
Another advantage of fabric is that is doesn't need to be painted. Automotive paint shops cost a fortune to build and run, plus you need extensive quality control to ensure that paint defects don't make it out of the factory. Carmakers could again save hundreds of millions of dollars if they didn't have to deal with paint. Also, a fabric body can never be scratched or dinged and it'll never rust. This could save even more money from an insurance standpoint since repairs would be a lot simpler.
Not painting a car is also better for the environment. There's no risk of accidently releasing toxic chemicals like paint thinners or volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere. And not painting a car would cut down on oil consumption since many automotive paints are derived from petroleum.
Of course a fabric-covered car is not without its disadvantages. As it ages it could get moldy or harbor fungi and vandals could easily cut it to ribbons. Plastic body panels never tear and steel doesn't ripple in the wind. But fabric pays surprising dividends and is an example of brilliant, out-of-the-box thinking and very clever design.
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