Abstract: A motor vehicle has a rigid vehicle body structure with a compartment for passengers and payload. The vehicle body structure has a front, a back, and sides. An exterior skin is connected to the vehicle body structure and includes a plurality of aerial exterior skin portions. At least one impact protection unit is connected to the vehicle body structure and one of the aerial exterior skin portions for moving the one exterior skin portion from a retracted position at the vehicle body structure into an extended position in which a base surface area defined by the outer contour of the motor vehicle is enlarged. The impact protection unit upon impact reduces a deceleration of the compartment due to a movement of the impact protection unit toward the vehicle body structure.

Abstract: A vehicle has a frame enclosing the usable space of the vehicle. An extendable impact protection unit is connected to the frame. The extendable impact protection unit has an extendable member and a telescopic device for extending and retracting the extendable member relative to the frame. The extendable impact protection unit, when extended, enlarges the outer contour of the vehicle and provides a deformation zone for absorbing impact forces in order to protect the usable space. The telescopic device has at least two extendable components engaging different locations of the extendable member and having a travel stroke from a retracted position into an extended position. The at least two extendable components have an impact compensation capacity. The vehicle also includes a device for adjusting at least one of the impact compensation capacity and the travel stroke independently for each one of the at least two extendable components.