BMW claims the elastic,
water resistant,
translucent man-made
fabric skin—
polyurethane-coated
Spandex—is resilient and durable. It resists high or low temperatures, does not swell or shrink, and the movement does not slacken or damage the fabric. The body changes its shape according to exterior conditions and speeds, and it also allows the driver to change its shape at will. The fabric is stretched over a frame with moving parts; shapes are formed beneath the skin by an
aluminium wire structure, though at points where flexibility is needed (ducts, door openings, spoiler), flexible carbon struts are used. The shape of the frame is controlled by many electric and hydraulic actuators; for example, the
headlights are revealed when small motors pull the fabric open from slits in an
eyelid-like fashion, and access to the engine can be gained through a slit that opens down the middle of the bonnet. As the fabric is translucent, the taillights simply shine through it. GINA has just four "panels"—the
bonnet, the two side panels and the
trunk. Its skin appears seamless, but it can "grow" out its
rear spoiler for stability at high speed. Its doors open in a
butterfly style and are each covered by a fabric piece reaching all the way from the nose of the car to their trailing edge which, when closed, leaves a perfectly smooth surface. == Interior ==