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Cars

BMW's New Concept Car Features Morphing Skin, Beast Mode. Sorry, Boost Mode.

Or is it Bao Bao Mode?

By Eric Ludlum - March 8, 2016

Reading through their press release I drifted into a little dystopian Boston Dynamics/BMW co-lab fantasy of M-series Robo-Cheetahs slashing through traffic in 2116.

Fortunately, BMW has a much more urbane vision for the future of transportation and it takes some cues from the lithe forms of big cats. It is hard to dig down to it in their site but the functionality of the morphing skin is much more interesting than the simple surface modulation noted on many blogs. In particular the (Bao Bao -esque) triangular grid structure would hypothetically move with the wheels, as indicated in the GIF below, reducing drag but also introducing a kinetic sense of muscularity to the vehicle's operation.

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To those familiar with the clichés of auto concepts, this is also a welcome, if possibly accidental, way of making those sexy zero-clearance covered wheels practical in uneven road conditions. (Which one would likely encounter while fleeing high performance robotic predators.)

There is plenty of conceptual candy for your perusal on BMW's site. Here are a few of the highlights. Check it out and let us know what you think.