Holy Hell This is COOL!!!!!

[Howard Cohen]

I read about this car elsewhere on the web and it is a real concept car, the operative word being 'concept'. There are many new materials now and more coming in the future, so the possibilities are endless.

I was watching 'Autoline Detroit' last year when they talked about a new material that was a composite of plastic and metal. This new material changes shape when heat, or electically generated heat, is applied. The demo started with a small coil spring that was stretched several inches, then dropped in warm water, where it instantly regained it's original shape. One of the applications for this new material is a gas cap door without a hinge. Apply heat and the gas door opens, remove the heat and the gas door closes. This new technology will soon be applied to regular car doors, windshield wiper arms and much more, according to the program. Can you imagine a dent in your car? You apply some heat to the area and the dent goes away. I found this new material, and the technology, very interesting.

Every day there is so much new technology that we don't know what tomorrow will bring. I can see the new BMW material improving in the next few years and being sold on a very limited basis, much like the hydrogen powered vehicles in California. On the other hand, fabric covered cars are not new, just look at the vintage Bentley Blower LeMans car of the late 20's

[Dragon7665]

I was watching 'Autoline Detroit' last year when they talked about a new material that was a composite of plastic and metal. This new material changes shape when heat, or electically generated heat, is applied. The demo started with a small coil spring that was stretched several inches, then dropped in warm water, where it instantly regained it's original shape. One of the applications for this new material is a gas cap door without a hinge. Apply heat and the gas door opens, remove the heat and the gas door closes. This new technology will soon be applied to regular car doors, windshield wiper arms and much more, according to the program. Can you imagine a dent in your car? You apply some heat to the area and the dent goes away. I found this new material, and the technology, very interesting.

I read about the same material, found it to be quite interesting, and can wait till there is some available to play with..... Got to ask though, am I the only one who sees adding a heat source anywhere near a fuel fill location as being a bit of an Oxymoron??? I mean what happens when the Busy Soccer Mom had forgot to replace the Gas Cap at the Last Fuel Stop, and then adds Heat to the Fuel Vapors lingering around the filler??? :(

[Jairus]

Rob, where do you think a Carburetor sits?

On TOP of a HOT engine! Heck, fuel can drip on a hot manifold and not catch fire. It takes a flame or a spark to ignite gasoline vapor not just heat....

My two cents on the material is that this is just funky tech material and most manufacturers will ignore the use of it. Something like the headlights is easy to apply to existing frame works but a car completely covered with a space age material... most manufacturers are not set up for the process. Repairable panels... however might be interesting. But remember the short lived use of plastic body panels by Pontiac on the Trans Van and Fiero. Now that went far.... huh?

We are back building cars with the same basic materials we were a hundred years ago and I don't foresee much change for the future especially if cars are going to get smaller... because they still need to be safe!

[sjordan]

When I was a kid living in Tulsa, there was a man there named Glenn Pray, a high school teacher, who began the manufacture of 8/10 scale Cord 810 replicas using Corvair components. He made the bodies out of a material called Royalex, made by U.S. Rubber; a blowtorch could be applied to a dent and the material would pop back into its original molded shape. My dad and I got a personal demonstration of this, and it was pretty impressive. I wonder whatever happened to that material.

Edited June 26, 2008 by sjordan

[MrObsessive]

But remember the short lived use of plastic body panels by Pontiac on the Trans Van and Fiero. Now that went far.... huh?

We are back building cars with the same basic materials we were a hundred years ago and I don't foresee much change for the future especially if cars are going to get smaller... because they still need to be safe!

Ditto that with Saturn!

My Ion Coupe was the last model they made with "flexible fiberglass" (Read: Plastic). Everything they make now since they discontinued the Ion last year is all steel.

This includes the new Astra which is ostensibly an Ion replacement. (But pricey!! )

[Nick F40]

This includes the new Astra which is ostensibly an Ion replacement. (But pricey!! )

No......ostensibly an Opel and a little pricey, I guess, but I like.

[Joe Handley]

I do like the way those "Saturns" looks, didn't realise that were pricey though.

[coopdad]

I like the cloth, but what about when it starts riping, what happens...............................................what's underneath?

A sewing machine motor!

[MrObsessive]

Nick the Astra was supposed to be an Ion replacement originally, even though it's an Opel............GM has all but ceded all models to Opel as they ran out of ideas for the original Saturn I guess.

When I went to the local auto show there were a couple there, but I was put off by the high price (around $18,000) and the car didn't seem that "loaded" to me. I believe our weak dollar is the culprit behind the high price as they're shipped from Belgium. Word has it that it might be made in Mexico but who knows?

Another disappointment is you can't get that cool looking windshield you can get in Europe.........The dealer tells me it's a "liability" issue for the US market. ( ??)

One of the neatest features I've seen in a car in years, and the insurance nazis nixed it.

[Harry P.]

Nick the Astra was supposed to be an Ion replacement originally, even though it's an Opel............GM has all but ceded all models to Opel as they ran out of ideas for the original Saturn I guess.

When I went to the local auto show there were a couple there, but I was put off by the high price (around $18,000) and the car didn't seem that "loaded" to me. I believe our weak dollar is the culprit behind the high price as they're shipped from Belgium. Word has it that it might be made in Mexico but who knows?

Another disappointment is you can't get that cool looking windshield you can get in Europe.........The dealer tells me it's a "liability" issue for the US market. ( ??)

One of the neatest features I've seen in a car in years, and the insurance nazis nixed it.

You wouldn't think that feature was so "cool" when you get into that thing after it's been parked in the sun for several hours...

[Joe Nunes]

Can't have one, Kevin....you already have a Horse, er...Hearse to drive...

[MrObsessive]

You wouldn't think that feature was so "cool" when you get into that thing after it's been parked in the sun for several hours...

Harry, it's got a movable sunshade and visors.......I wondered about that too when I first saw it.........

The glass is said to be heavily tinted too (Also much thicker gauge than standard) so it's not easily chipped or shattered.

[Nick F40]

Nick the Astra was supposed to be an Ion replacement originally, even though it's an Opel............GM has all but ceded all models to Opel as they ran out of ideas for the original Saturn I guess.

When I went to the local auto show there were a couple there, but I was put off by the high price (around $18,000) and the car didn't seem that "loaded" to me. I believe our weak dollar is the culprit behind the high price as they're shipped from Belgium. Word has it that it might be made in Mexico but who knows?

Another disappointment is you can't get that cool looking windshield you can get in Europe.........The dealer tells me it's a "liability" issue for the US market. ( ??)

One of the neatest features I've seen in a car in years, and the insurance nazis nixed it.

Harry, it's got a movable sunshade and visors.......I wondered about that too when I first saw it.........

The glass is said to be heavily tinted too (Also much thicker gauge than standard) so it's not easily chipped or shattered.

Wow, that is sweet looking, gotta love Opel. Our insurance excuses are a joke, I agree.

That windshield is really neat, I like that and it seems shaded and tinted enough to block the sun.

[evilone]

Can't have one, Kevin....you already have a Horse, er...Hearse to drive...

true and it would become jelouse

and someone here called it a cadaverlac so thats what im calling it