But the question isn't as odd as it sounds, as Bangle explains: "The aspects of crash (protection), stiffness, ride and handling can be handled in a space-frame-type vehicle entirely without the skin, and, therefore, to go away from a metal skin, to something that can move, be lighter, have capabilities beyond metal, that's something that the GINA Light model brings as a question." Seems like that bang on the head shook something good loose.
And it was that very thought process that led Bangle and his BMW team to the car you see here on these pages: the GINA Light Visionary concept. Now, 'GINA' is a slightly streamlined acronym that stands for Geometry and Function in 'N' - representing an infinite number of ways - Adaptations. Bangle goes on to explain that basically he means that there's a lot of change possible with GINA. And he's not being metaphorical. For once.
Under the über-flame-surfaced exterior, GINA is an alloy space frame with a front-mounted V8 driving the rear wheels - a basic structure nicked direct from the now-dead Z8 Roadster. But the 'skin' of the car is actually made of a rubbery, metallic fabric instead of metal - which allows for some interesting morphing, thanks to movable structures underneath the flexible covering of textile. The space frame and most of the basic shapes are built from wire, but allied to those forms is a set of carbon struts that move according to what they need to do - body customisation literally on the fly.
For instance, if the car should require more downforce for high-speed driving, it can 'grow' a rear spoiler at will. If it needs to get more air into the V8, it can open its mouth - sorry, widen its front intake - and the bonnet opens 'like a doctor's bag', slitting itself down the centre line like a zip. Even the headlights are exposed by a disconcertingly animate blink, and someone in the design team obviously has a sense of humour, because instead of flashing its lights, GINA winks. The fabric itself is a man-made, swell- and shrink-resistant, temperature-inert, silvery weave, that looks to have a texture somewhere between rubber and lycra. Although opaque, shine a light through it, and you can see the tail-lights and indicators lurking just belowthe surface, invisible until they come into operation. The whole super-smooth look is completely deliberate - you only get a sense that the car isn't made of metal when the doors open and ruck up fabric along the newly created acute angles, or when the car stretches a new form into position from inside the seemingly solid bodywork.
Bangle wanted a car that created a new way of thinking about materials usage, a new philosophy of design, and the GINA is so immediately intriguing, it makes you think he's done it. There are complex shapes wrought in a very simple, very malleable medium. Indeed, the whole car is formed from just four pieces of fabric, and Bangle reckons that a skilled technician, with the right tools, could reskin a GINA in two hours. The most surprising thing is that GINA was first designed way back in 2001, but has come to light - a real Back to the Future moment for car design - thanks to the opening of the BMW Museum. And it's not hard to see how this extreme concept has informed the design of present road-going BMWs - flame surfacing has become an accepted form in the styling lexicon, with the Z4 Roadster being perhaps the most successful mass-production interpretation. And despite the massive early criticism of Bangle's shock tactics - remember when the 6- and 7-Series arrived to a throbbing silence and a muted cough - it's interesting to note that this seven-year-old car looks properly cutting-edge here in 2008.
Of course, you're not likely to see a fabric-bodied GINA-alike on the streets in the near future. But Bangle insists that it might point the way for cars that afford a high percentage of bespoke content, and there are obvious advantages to having a car that can change its form to better match a range of functions. Imagine a car that can sweep back its bodywork to be more aerodynamic, gaining both efficiency and speed. A car that can shrink to fit into parking spaces.A car that can configure itself for sleekness and style or for boxy practicality.
It's also pretty green: "I've seen research that shows GINA compares very well with painted metal in weight, in ozone potential, in recyclables and the energy needed to produce it," says Bangle. But it is also true that a car like this could be significantly lighter and require less energy resource to actually build than current models, as long as they ditched the V8 and slotted in something a little lighter. So what's the point of the GINA then? "It's about being flexible," says Bangle, unintentionally literally. "It's about context over dogma." Who are we to argue, when context looks this good?
