Automotive news has recently been riddled with concepts and production teasers. For example the
Zenvo ST1,
Ford Focus RS500 (which will not be sold in the US...don't get me started), the new
Hennessey Venom GT (with a 1200 hp option I might add),
Koenigsegg Agera, and even
McLaren has come out with a MP4-12C. All of these vehicles are very fast, expensive and full of carbon fiber (the McLaren actually has a carbon fiber monocell chassis configuration) which only very few of us will actually see in real life and even fewer will have the chance to drive. What is the purpose for cars like these you ask? To evoke emotion.
Designers and manufacturers of these types of cars want to bring the passion back to driving. Sure, your car can get you from point A to point B and has XM radio and GPS (yada yada), but have you ever turned your radio off, opened your windows and just listened to the road? Press down on the gas just a bit more than you are use to and just feel the car come to life. The synergy of an automobile and driver is unparalleled. This feeling is where designers build their art.
These exotic bullets are actually an amazing (and costly) source of research and development. 50 years ago, nobody thought that a woven fabric could out perform steel car bodies and now thanks to concept car testing and racing advancements, carbon fiber is a household name. A more recent development is from 2008 with BMW's GINA concept which is covered in a fabric (polyurethane coated Spandex) which is

translucent, stretchable and water resistant.
Click here to see more about this car and watch the video about the design. The skin is one piece which you have to see to believe. Designers such as these are a true inspiration and really help people think outside of the box, innovating the way we think. We may never actually see a production version of this type of car but it definitely provokes an motivational emotion within me. You may never grace the driver's seat of one of these exotic masterpieces but in a few years you may see yourself driving an affordable car fully equipped with a carbon fiber chassis....maybe.
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