Dynamic wheel arches in BMW's next 100 years

[ds.raikkonen]

http://www.next100.bmw/en/topics/articl ... ormer.html

BMW call it 'Alive geometry':

The dynamic wheel arches of the BMW VISION NEXT 100 intelligently move in synch with the wheels as the vehicle manoeuvres. This pioneering design concept is called Alive Geometry, and it shifts our view of design elements away from being simply static objects towards an understanding of them as moving forms.

What do you guys think are the benefits of 'Dynamic wheel arches'?

http://www.next100.bmw/en/topics/bmw-vi ... t-100.html

They haven't mentioned much about the powertrain related, only about a driving assistant, self driving capability, smart materials and an interesting steering wheel. (and lots of triangles)
Pretty radical looking wheel and wheel arches, the RR concept looks skeletal!

[markc]

It looks to be a sort of morph suit for cars with stiffer materials, however, would a wind resistant form of morph material based on Kevlar for strength also provide a similar flexibility... IE is this really 100 years tech?

love the PRECONCIOUS portmanteau!

[WaikeCU]

It looks to be a sort of morph suit for cars with stiffer materials, however, would a wind resistant form of morph material based on Kevlar for strength also provide a similar flexibility... IE is this really 100 years tech?

love the PRECONCIOUS portmanteau!

reminds me of this what you are saying:

[CBeck113]

Considering that the wheels are the last area of the car which have uncontrolled air flow, and a very poor flow to boot, it isn't surprizing that they are looking at this area for an improvement. With that said, the solution looks quite useful, but the question is always if they can make it work for mass production and the life of the vehicle (maybe without reducing the expected life of the vehicle )

[ds.raikkonen]

... IE is this really 100 years tech?

Even I thought this is more the work of an industrial designer rather than a proper future concept!

Perhaps VW's idea to reduce drag created due to wheel arches was better (the XL1 concept):


Much more low tech and cost effective eh

[Tim.Wright]

Are there any functional advantages?

BMW themselves seem to present it just as a form study.

Look carefully at the steering actuation and you can see the wheel movements are a lot more exaggerated than a normal steered wheel. Not only that but the steering actuation has 2 degrees of freedom instead of 1. The wheel can rotate about a point either behind or in front of the wheel centre.

Cynical me suggests this was done to exaggerate the moving body work effect rather than any steering system improvements.

[domh245]

Whatever it is, I really wouldn't want to get a puncture in it! I can't see anyway of changing the tyres!

[markc]

Tyres? What tyres? That's so today's thinking!! It'll be powered by pixie dust and prayers and float on dreams.

I was *hoping* for some more meat to this article, but its marketing fluff, unfortunately. Stuff about the drive train and fuel whatever that might be - I imagine totally electric but how, what, where etc...

Good point re changing the tyres, tho - perhaps as per new vehicles not having spare tyres but "gunge" and a pump, in 100 years the local vehicle support services will do it all for you? OR better yet the car will know it needs to get its self fixed and will go to the local garage for you!! Run flat or even airless tyres:
http://www.bridgestonetire.com/tread-an ... cept-tires

[ds.raikkonen]

It'll be powered by pixie dust and prayers and float on dreams.

I was *hoping* for some more meat to this article, but its marketing fluff, unfortunately. Stuff about the drive train and fuel whatever that might be - I imagine totally electric but how, what, where etc...[/url]

You're right, it looks like a brand building exercise. I just couldn't digest the likes of BMW 'not' talking about the powertrain etc.
The immediate future looks set on plug-in hybrids (like the i8, range extenders etc.), then fully electric vehicles and then perhaps fuel cell power. Not sure about pixie dust though

http://www.bridgestonetire.com/tread-an ... cept-tires

Looks like the Michelin Tweel concept, which is still being tested endlessly. When on earth will they actually productionise it?! Good Year too had an interesting concept involving two chambers within a tyre which inflate/deflate based on driving conditions: https://corporate.goodyear.com/en-US/me ... 08105.html

Then there is this one, the spherical wheel : http://www.sciencealert.com/watch-goody ... lev-wheels

[bill shoe]

My grumpy perspective is that dynamic wheel arches are a silly novelty. Styling is a static thing, so nobody cares about wheel arches that move or change with motion.

[Andres125sx]

I fing it quite absurd. first of all, I´m not sure if that active geometry will be good enough for real steering angles, the video only show small steering angles, what about if you´re parking and need full steering? I can´t see that active geometry moving that far

Then, that must be extremely expensive, to what purpose? Anybody is willing to pay a good amount of $$$ to reduce drag and a little bit fuel consumption? Nosense

Also, it may be beneficial for high speed, but at high speed steering angles are small, so no need for that complex system, while at low speed, when the system would be more demanded, it´s not needed at all

And as posted, for the rear wheels you don´t need it at all, VW solution (were they the first?) is much more practical and probably equally effective

Basically I find it an extremely complex and probably expensive system for a very small benefit, so I don´t think we´ll hear anything more about it in the future

[ds.raikkonen]

I fing it quite absurd. first of all, I´m not sure if that active geometry will be good enough for real steering angles, the video only show small steering angles, what about if you´re parking and need full steering? I can´t see that active geometry moving that far

Then, that must be extremely expensive, to what purpose? Anybody is willing to pay a good amount of $$$ to reduce drag and a little bit fuel consumption? Nosense

Also, it may be beneficial for high speed, but at high speed steering angles are small, so no need for that complex system, while at low speed, when the system would be more demanded, it´s not needed at all

And as posted, for the rear wheels you don´t need it at all, VW solution (were they the first?) is much more practical and probably equally effective

Basically I find it an extremely complex and probably expensive system for a very small benefit, so I don´t think we´ll hear anything more about it in the future

They might have the rear wheels being steered to get a decent turning circle radius (like the 918 Hybrid). However, at high speeds, the fact that there is no air trapped in the wheel arches would contribute a lot to reducing the drag (although I agree that it is too high tech to be cost effective).
I don't think VW were the first with this concept, Chrysler were the first with the Airflow concept:

but they did achieve a phenomenal Cd of 0.189, so it definitely helped. I am wondering how they will cool the rear brakes though?
Definitely agree that the XL1 was a much better concept for future production cars (with a cramped rear seat!)

My grumpy perspective is that dynamic wheel arches are a silly novelty. Styling is a static thing, so nobody cares about wheel arches that move or change with motion.

Impressive innovations, such as the 4D-printed dynamic wheel arches, set new standards for kinematics and driving performance. The totally new vehicle design also features a fully-closed outer shell for optimised aerodynamics and reduced drag of just 0.18 cW.

The fully closed outer shell (monolithic construction)/reducing panel gaps (like BlueMotion) must have contributed a lot to the low Cd, I wonder how much did the 'dynamic wheel arches' contribute?

[domh245]

I don't think VW were the first with this concept, Chrysler were the first with the Airflow concept:

Citroen also did a similar thing with the CX, where the access to the rear wheels was by raising the suspension.

[ds.raikkonen]

Forget about the wheel arches, check out the 2017 Panamera's rear wing

http://jalopnik.com/the-2017-porsche-pa ... 1782758172

[VARIANT | one]

^
LMFAO That looks like it makes about one fourth the downforce that it adds in weight for the friggen' mechanism.

Is that thing even airfoil in section?! German engineering ain't what it used to be.