Australian aXcess concept car attracts the world

The Australian aXcess concept car, fresh from its success at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Expo in Detroit, is setting its sights on Southeast Asia.

It will be the main attraction at the Automechanika Asia trade fair in Singapore from April 27 to April 29.

Not surprisingly, one of the car's key targets is the Southeast Asian car industry.

Despite the recent meltdown of Asian currencies and world focus on the woes of the region, the 130 Australian automotive parts manufacturers involved in the project have a long-term view towards the region.

Automechanika Asia, organized by leading trade show organizer Messe Frankfurt, is a platform for auto parts, services and the car maintenance industry. It is not a car show as such.

The aXcess car will be supported by 50 Australian companies who will also exhibit.

The car will complement a conference on Automotive Manufacturing in Australia on the second day of the fair.

Many Southeast Asian carmakers are expected to visit the show solely because of the aXcess car and its ability to showcase Australia component suppliers at a one-stop location.

After Singapore, the aXcess road show then starts a series of exhibitions throughout the rest of Southeast Asia.

The concept car is a running "mule" -- a fully prepared car -- designed to showcase Australian component manufacturing and design ideas.

It was designed by Millard Design, which is also involved in the Maleo project in Indonesia.

Among the concept car's many technical highlights are a one- piece carbon-fiber body riveted to a steel chassis, clamshell door openings that remove the B-pillar, a six-cylinder two- stroke, 160kW 2.3-liter supercharged Orbital engine, four-speed electronic gearbox with a shift selection by push buttons or voice activation, rear suspension by a transverse composite fiber leaf spring and memory key-card for personalized seat, mirror and entertainment systems.

It is truly a car for tomorrow but will only ever be used as a showcase of Australian ingenuity and design.

The car's interior design is also a feature in itself.

It is quiet inside with low levels of noise, vibration and harshness entering the cabin from the power train.

Excellent outward visibility is enhanced by the open-air feeling conveyed by the polycarbonate roof panels.

The integration and location of the driver controls and information on the instrument cluster and center console panel create a high-tech ambience that is softened and warmed by a fully color-coded interior trim featuring a combination of leather, fabric and magnesium die-cast treatment.

Millard wanted to convey a sense of the various raw materials used, including lightweight metals, and as such, a variety of finishes including metal, leather and plastics, are exposed.

The interior trim is coded in blues and earthy tones that reflect the designer's theme of fun and the adventurous, outdoor Australian lifestyle.

The exposed X-frame offers an interior with superb all-round visibility, enhanced by a see-through roof.

Without a roof head lining, the X shape of the frame forms two see-through panels in the roof, alongside two solar panels.

These solar panels power a ventilation extraction fan that operations when the car is stationary.

A sophisticated seating design compensates for the lack of a B-pillar for mounting of passenger restraints.

All four bucket seats incorporate side air bags, seat-belt mounts, pretensioners and in the case of the front seats, belt retractors.

They were developed specifically for the aXcess car by Australian companies Hendersons Automotive, Melba Industries, Howe & Co, Australian Arrow and Autoliv.

The front seats are a lightweight design incorporating magnesium frames, four-way lumbar support and memory power adjustment.

A rear passenger entertainment center is housed in an automatic-opening rear seat center console, incorporating a Sony Playstation and video player linked to screens in the rear of the front seats.

If you miss the concept car in Singapore, don't worry, it will also be shown in Thailand, Malaysia and South Korea.

It is also tipped to appear at the Jakarta motor show in July.