Unless you can provide back-up for that, I'm going to call shenanigans. Used to work on jets for the USAF (reservist) and the skin does provide a structural component - much more so in jets than in cars, but the concepts the same. They provide overall structural rigidity (think about all the extra bracing needed in a convertible), block against intrusion from outside objects, as well as absorb portions of the energy during a crash. This isn't to say that the vehicle in question couldn't do that, they'd just do it with something other than the skin - maybe panels and the like that don't show, but provide support for the internal workings.