Thursday, June 12, 2008

flex

Chris Bangle, the Director of Design at BMW has been both praised and villified by the automotive press for his accomplishments. Love it or hate it, the "Bangle-Butt" you see on cars like the BMW 7 Series has made an impression on the world of auto design and it has now manifested itself in cars as mundane or mainstream as the Toyota Camry.

I can't say I cared too much for the Bangle-Butt but now with the newest concept design from BMW I have some new-found respect for Bangle and his team. They've taken the "flame-surfacing" ideas they showcased on the BMW Z4 roadster and coupe, and moved into a new organic direction... with a flexible fabric-based skin and motorized moving structure that can resculpt itself and even blink its headlights, this really is the kind of car that one could imagine as a 21st century car of the future. Check out the promotional video from BMW featuring Bangle and showing some of the cool effects you get from a flexible skin and adjustable structure. The look of the folded skin when the doors open is very unconventional for sure, but I think it's pretty breath-taking to behold. I hope to see this car or an evolution of it in person someday.



See more photos of the BMW GINA at Autoblog

No comments: