I can't drive, or rather I can but I haven't reached the stage where I'm allowed to. Nonetheless two of the hardest things about driving seem to be parking and the likes of three-point turns. In such circumstances it often seems it would be a major advantage if the shape of the vehicle were to be modified temporarily in order that it or other vehicles not be altered less temporarily.
To this end I envisage a scrunchy car. The main body of the car consists of a mesh not unlike a fingertrap. This mesh means that the car can be lengthened and thinned, shortened and fattened or possibly shortened, thinned and talled. It consists of a series of helical strips running clockwise and anticlockwise around the car, shielded by flexible plastic on the exterior and interior, joined to rings which slide along rails and can be altered in shape by diametric struts arranged in a cross which can be pulled together and separated. The axles can also be shortened and lengthened, as can the drive shaft (I'm a bit vague about this). For particularly tight squeezes the wheels can be folded under the chassis and an air cushion can be used briefly to move the vehicle instead of wheels. Since this is noisy and not fuel efficient, this feature should seldom be used.
This enables the motorist to parallel park more easily, to compact the car in situations where there's little room, and to execute three-point turns and others which would otherwise be impossible.
Oh, and you get in and out of the car by means of a quantum entangled key but that's another idea I haven't posted yet.-- nineteenthly, Aug 14 2017 Or Like this https://www.google....UoYCFuTbFnx1tvAw4wgRinspeed Presto (Fast forward to 2min in) [wjt, Aug 15 2017] Red Green's variable wheelbase car https://www.youtube...watch?v=e7LuHW4BIlUPrior art [notexactly, Dec 18 2017] So, do you fold up at the knees to make this work?-- RayfordSteele, Aug 14 2017 The business is happening away from the driver's seat, I was thinking, but now you come to mention it, yes.-- nineteenthly, Aug 14 2017 The Honda Accordion.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 14 2017 Seeing as how the front wheels are not terribly far from your legs, I'm thinking it's going to get crowded.
Honestly, in automotive, we fight for every millimeter of packaging space.-- RayfordSteele, Aug 14 2017 are you gaming the disappearance of the steering wheel already?-- theircompetitor, Aug 14 2017 are you gaming the disappearance of the steering wheel already?-- theircompetitor, Aug 14 2017 [RayfordSteele], folding the wheels under and hovering would address that to some extent. Maybe it could double as a trash compactor?
[theircompetitor], I'm now thinking centrally-placed steering wheel but that might make it harder to see what's what.-- nineteenthly, Aug 15 2017 I'm gaming for the disappearance of one of these annos.-- RayfordSteele, Aug 15 2017 I'm gaming for the disappearance of one of these annos.-- RayfordSteele, Aug 15 2017 //The Honda Accordion.// [+]-- MaxwellBuchanan, Aug 15 2017 how on earth did you come up with this?-- po, Aug 16 2017 It did end up taking quite a bit more thought than just the basic idea [po], because I realised there was an issue with wheels and axles etc.-- nineteenthly, Aug 16 2017 random, halfbakery