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It's a blast from the recent past and a look at the future. The GINA Light Visionary Model show car unveiled by BMW is under- stood to date back to 2001, when the company was starting its "flame surface" styling philosophy.
Underneath the car's radical lines is the platform of the now-defunct Z8 roadster. Now GINA has been revamped and revealed for the first time.
BMW says GINA - which stands for Geometry and Functions In 'N' Adaptations - will encourage more freedom in car design by asking questions and casting aside preconceptions. The 'N' refers to "infinite" possibilities.
"This involves questioning what is believed to be set in stone," says the company blurb. "Does a car roof have to rest on pillars and be bordered by windows? "Do all functions have to be visible at all times? Are there alternatives to the body shell made of steel or plastic?"
The GINA proposes an alternative to that last issue - its outer skin is made of a textile fabric that stretches across a moveable substructure.
The waterproof fabric is attached to struts around the car's structure. The driver can change its look and configuration, the fenders' shape for example, by pressing a switch to activate electronically operated sections. Headlights are revealed behind the fabric when they are activated - they open like eyelids. If a technician needs access to the engine, the "bonnet" can be unzipped and pulled apart.
More radical aspects of the Light Visionary Model have not been created with production in mind, but to show what is possible when new approaches are taken to familiar car design aspects.
BMW says the "GINA philosophy" has inspired not just the styling of models such as the 7-series and Z4 roadster, but also ergonomic developments such as the iDrive controller, which aims to hide non-essential cabin functions until they are required.
