Got this link about a new type of 'skin' for autos. Interesting concept.

Pretty cool.

Interesting!

I saw some pix the other day on a BMW forum where a guy changed the color of his car from black to white by just installing a film that adhered to the vehicle.

That is waaaay cool. Kinda makes one ponder why this was thought up by a foreign car maker and not a US car maker. Are we too locked into "think inside the box" instead of thinking outside the box?

My first thought when I watched the video was there would not be any protection in an accident. But really, how much protection does the sheet metal on a car provide? Not much I'd guess.

Actually I think that that folding, crimping and even the noise of the sheetmetal bending releases some of the impulse and momemtum generated by the collision and does provide considerable protection. That said, this material, if it is ductile enough, it will perform equally as well. I bet Bavarian Motor Works is figuring that out. Those Germans are some crafty engineers. In the 70's they had drill bits that could drill a hole in the smallest drill bit made in the United States.

It really does make you wonder about the US car manufacturers.

Mark

Other than the noise, the folding of the sheetmetal disappates a ton of energy in auto crashes.

So they want to build a fabric covered car? Guess they talk to some Cessna engineers from the 1920's? Looks neat, though.

Cloth skins are not new, but they have their issues that technology may now be able to resolve. A skin that stretches is a step towards designs that adapt to be more streamlined according to speed.

Stealth technology? No more speeding tickets from radar.

Laser..

Darn it.

The big issue is how they do the frame. It can be as simple as a tube skeleton, or they could have an open weave panel. There is even a possibility for a cable system or other concepts. And don't knock our inventiveness. Some Cali students have developed an electric vehicle that you wear like a suit. You step into the exoskeleton and buckle it in. The hard part is then you lean forward and go down the road head first.