Mini inflatable car

Putting an inflatable car on the road is a concrete objective for the Italian architect Dario Di Camillo, designer of the BlowCar.
This curious project will make its international debut at the Bologna Motor Show (3-11 December 2011). Originating in the cities of Turin and Pescara, it is wholly Italian made. Di Camillo, former FIAT designer for automobile interiors, engine compartments, and powerplant aesthetics (1978-1991), got his idea from the inflatable system technology applied in the aerospace industry. Indeed, the BlowCar harks back to the inflatable emergency escape slides for aircraft and the large airbags for space probes. By replacing some of the exterior sheet metal with inflatable elements, the stated objective is to reduce the weight and thus lower energy consumption with respect to a comparable vehicle with a traditional body.
This new quadricycle, designed to vie with numerous products already on the market in Italy, is available with the option of a traditional internal combustion engine (diesel), an electric motor, or as a hybrid. The manufacturer is Blow Car Srl, a newborn company in Pescara whose partners include Concept-Inn, Fondazione PescaraAbruzzo, Domal Company, and Gruppo Proma. BlowCar is scheduled to hit the showrooms in December 2012 at a base price of 11,770 euro.