Archive for September 8, 2008

The BMW Gina

September 8, 2008 at 6:57 pm · Filed under Mechanical Engg ·Tagged ,

This is called Innovation!  

Gina stands for Geometry and Functions in N Adaptations.

in common language, it means the car can literally adapt and change its shape. This is achieved by pulling a polymer fibre over a metal and carbon linkage frame which are actuated by electro-hydraulic devices.

Well, it would be best if I let the pictures speak…

And a neatly done video as well

 

What I really like about the design is that the it questions the very fundamentals and the very orthodoxy of our car beliefs. What is exactly is the function of the body frame? Is protection is one of the necessary ones? Or can the purpose of protection be achieved solely to the chassis and the body cage?

The material use is revolutionary - light, flexible, cheap, easy to manufacture.

And the most important part is the human element… The car feels human..check the video out to get what I mean… the ‘Queen’ can ‘blink her eyes’! and when the head rests get up, its like someone is looking after the comfort to the driver…or she’s revealing secrets when she opens her bonnet…

One of the few concept cars that is really sensible, logical and not bizzare!

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Formula One

September 8, 2008 at 6:30 pm · Filed under Mechanical Engg, formula 1 ·Tagged ,

Well, I never had access to much of an access to F-1 racing before so watching it was out of the question. And then there was the Schumacher Era. I dont know why, but a sport which is dominated by just a single champion has always been boring to me… Same can be said about the tennis era with Federer… Monopoly is one thing I really hate (not the board game of course!) However, getting into mechanical engineering and that too automoile engineering could not keep me away from F-1 for long time. Now I can appreciate both the race part as well the engineering.

Of course I am not an avid follower and definitely not a writer like Aditya here, but have taken a keen interest in it. And following my glorious tradition of not following the champions I will NOT be supporting Ferrari… Instead I would be backing McLaren and Force India, the former to give Ferrari a good fight and the latter for obvious patriotic reasons. And I would like the latter to do what the former as soon as possible! Of course it was achieved in the street circuit of Monaco and it was Raikonnen only who literally thrashed the competition. Of course, all say that it was not his fault but it was Sutil who lost the GLORY.

Anyways, yesterday’s race was clearly one of the best I had witnessed. Such high class drama! Its not that regular that you see such intensity and overtaking in the leader position with such few laps to go and here was a result that nobody could have even predicted even a few minutes ago. And Hamilton being penalised under laws which I believe are not that fair, but nevertheless it was much post race drama. The Raikonnen crash meant that he would be pushed further away from the Championship title which holds all signs of degenerating into a two horse race  between Lewis (76) and Massa, the former leading by just 2 points with 5 races to go. The next couple of guys are Kubica and Kimi separated by just one point, Kubica(58) a considerable 16 points away from Massa(74). BMW is another inspired team this year alongwith Toyota.

So looking forward to many such races and race-blogs in the future…

My post on the Australian GP 2009

What are rear diffusers?

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