Bangle on BMW ‘GINA’ concept
Bangle on BMW ‘GINA’ concept
7th July 2008 15:20
Interesting video with BMW’s Chris Bangle talking about a light and flexible fabric skin BMW has developed for a concept. As he rightly says, this concept poses questions.
On a more contemporary note, the new 7 looks like it has had a ‘play safe’ philosophy on external design this time around, the focus more on packing the car with some impressive sounding high-tech stuff. There won’t be a ‘Bangle butt’ type controversy with this one.
GERMANY: BMW reveals new flagship
Your Comments
Saw the GINA video a couple of weeks ago and was mightily impressed. Yes there’ll be jokes about the revisiting of Edwardian Cyclocars and Sopwith Camels, but if viable with crash compliant substructures and armatures this technology could revolutionise. Reduced vehicle mass and so lower emissions & improve dynamics, promote new avenues in aesthetics etc, but critically reduce material procuremet, supplier networks and build process costs. With iron ore ‘bulk’ and ‘fine’ costs up 85 & 91% respectively YoY, along with Asian construction and manufacturing demand inflating steel costs by 71% YoY automakers are increasingly loosing the battle with the ever consolidating mining and steel conglomerates. Arcelor Mittal which now reportedly ‘only’ has 15% secured contract pricing with its automaker clients, the majority of sales at inflation hedged ’spot prices’ - now at $800 per metric tonne. All automakers should have, for years, been looking at alternative non-ferrous (ideally low plastic content) low-cost, highly adaptable skin solutions - frankly it was a no-brainer!. Hopefully GINA will prompt others (esp the US’ Big 3) to show their R&D wares.
Turan Ahmed - investment-auto-motives, United Kingdom
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