A collaboration between BMW Group Design and Garage Italia Customs has produced an innovative color and material concept of two concept cars based on current BMW i models. The BMW i3 Garage Italia CrossFade and the BMW i8 Garage Italia CrossFade will be presented on 30 September 2016 at the start of the Mondial de l’Automobile 2016 in Paris. These models, which both feature an exterior design derived from the concept cars, will become available at the beginning of 2017.
The focus of these two models is on a specific color design that was developed on the basis of a common painting genre during the late 19th and early 20th century and which provides for a particularly expressive appearance.
“Lapo Elkann is a pioneer in linking the disciplines of fashion, automobile and design. As a designer, I find this comprehensive approach particularly exciting,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design. “With BMW i, we have been successful in overcoming previous restrictions in automotive design through the use of entirely new materials. So the progressive expressiveness of the Garage Italia CrossFade Edition is perfectly in keeping with the BMW i3 and the BMW i8.”
In June 2016, Garage Italia Customs introduced the BMW i8 Futurism Edition. This vehicle also featured a body surface concept that was inspired by the art of painting. The design of the BMW i8 Futurism Edition, which was created on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of BMW Italia, is based on the painting “Lampada ad Arco” by the futuristic artist Giacomo Balla.
“Technological development and constant search for innovation are common key values to both Garage Italia Customs and BMW,” adds Lapo Elkann, Chairman and Founder of Garage Italia Customs. “BMW i automobiles provide our designers with ideal opportunities for an artistic exploration of the future of mobility. The CrossFade project was a great opportunity to create something beyond the traditional idea of car painting, generating amazing effects with a unique geometrical pattern.”
The design of the concept cars now being shown in Paris was inspired by optical color mixing, a technique already used in Pointillism of the late 19th century. This painting technique involves the creation of motifs using small and evenly distributed dashes of color. Because the neighboring colors are not intermixed, but only blend together in the perception of the viewer, a particularly intensive radiance is created. The selective variation of size and spacing of the individual dashes permits the creation of both precise and harmonious color gradients.
On the body surface of the BMW i8 Garage Italia CrossFade, the accurately defined color changes between Protonic Blue metallic and Protonic Dark Silver metallic are used to intensively underscore the lines and surface contours. Moreover, the applied dashes of paint are triangular. The color design was achieved using a complex painting process in which the car finished in Protonic Blue metallic was initially covered with a stencil film. Therefore, it was possible to create the desired geometrical pattern with exceptionally high precision when the second layer of paint in Protonic Dark Silver metallic was finally applied.
Moreover, the interior follows the BMW i8 Garage Italia CrossFade’s exterior design with the smooth transition from the dark silver of the front end of the car to the pure blue of the rear end printed on Alcantara textile that now covers the central tunnel, the side panels and the headliner. The surface structure of the interior and the seats in Foglizzo leather, and Protonic Blue and perforated Alcantara is effectively accentuated by the contrasting colors.
In the case of the BMW i3 Garage Italia CrossFade, the color transition on the front end and the side panels flows in a vertical direction. The amount of blue decreases as it rises upwards to merge with the black roof and bonnet. The smooth transition is created by a transparent foiling with imprinted circular dashes of colour that symbolise the driving pleasure offered by the electrically powered five door car and become larger with increasing height. The distinctive color design is also to be found in the interior, where high-quality textile and Alcantara surfaces additionally emphasis the premium character of the car. Base color in each case is Protonic Blue, which is now also optionally available for the BMW i3 and exclusively in conjunction with the 94 Ah high-voltage battery.
