ASC (American Specialty Cars) Shows Off Capabilities in Design, Open Air, Performance Materials
- Unique, 'Sunvertible' Roof Systems for SUVs, Crossovers, Minivans
- Carbon Fiber in 20% the Processing Time of Conventional Processes
DETROIT, Jan. 8 -- ASC Incorporated today unveiled at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit several vehicle prototypes with innovations designed to showcase the company's expertise in vehicle design, open-air systems and performance materials, all focused on supporting ASC's goal of helping its automaker clients put more exciting vehicles on the road, faster. The vehicles will be on display throughout the show inside ASC's booth in Michigan Hall (lower level) of Cobo Center.
"We're pro-life for cool cars," said Paul Wilbur, ASC's president and chief executive officer. "At ASC, our mission is to help our OEM clients bring more exciting, profit-generating, halo-casting vehicles to life -- and, importantly, at the same time to help OEMs bring new life to their existing vehicles.
"Headlining our innovation parade is our InfiniVu(TM) 'sunvertible' family of sliding-roof systems," continued Wilbur. "These systems -- available in fabric, glass or, as the result of a new collaboration we're announcing here today, clear, lightweight Lexan(R) GLX resin from GE Plastics -- are designed to provide OEMs with a low-investment, highly scalable method of bringing convertible-like motoring to SUVs, crossovers and minivans, and thus breathe all-new life into these all-important market segments. And importantly, these 'full-vehicle' open-air systems are designed to provide the safety and security that vehicle buyers expect in these market segments."
Wilbur went on to note that ASC's InfiniVu(TM) systems represent the world's only bi-directional, patent-pending sliding-roof systems, providing open air in literally an infinite variety of configurations, to both rear-seat and front-seat occupants -- as the tops slide both back-to-front on the vehicles as well as front-to-back. The systems' scalable basic architecture (including highly interchangeable parts and components) also gives automakers an unprecedented amount of flexibility, he said, such as the ability to install fabric roofs in lower-priced and/or sporty models, and glass or Lexan(R) resin roofs in premium models. Wilbur also confirmed today that the first of ASC's InfiniVu(TM) family of roof systems, which are designed as an OEM-integrated option, will be debuting on an OEM product line in the 2008 model year. He estimated the retail price of InfiniVu(TM) systems at $1,600 to $2,400.
ASC today also had its award-winning vehicle design expertise on full display. The company boasts four design studios and was the winner of a prestigious gold IDEA award for design, co-sponsored by Business Week magazine, in 2004 and of a Detroit News "Readers' Choice" award at last year's NAIAS. Today, ASC showed the broad range of its creative expertise by unveiling a four-door roadster SUV concept property designed and built at ASC's studio in Huntington Beach, Calif., and a supercar made even more super by the addition of a mostly carbon-fiber body.
The new vehicle prototypes displayed were:
-- ASC Cosmos -- The Cosmos features an InfiniVu(TM) Fabric roof system,
which transforms a HUMMER H3 into an SUV ready to take on the heavens as
well as Earth. Bi-directional, the between-the-roof-rails top slides
either rearward toward the D-pillar or forward toward the A-pillar, or
to any point in between, offering an infinite number of open-air
iterations -- for those in the rear of the vehicle as well as the front.
And, at the D-pillar the system features a moving horizontal header,
which moves out of the way as the roof slides forward, providing the
added benefit of pickup-truck-like utility.
-- ASC TriLite -- A skylight on wheels, the TriLite enhances a Toyota
Sienna minivan, with a unique moving-panel roof system. Its
InfiniVu(TM) system features not one, not two, but three moving panels.
And, in an industry first, all are made of Lexan(R) GLX resin with
Exatec(R), a polycarbonate window-glazing solution that can potentially
be up to half the weight of glass-an important benefit in roof-mounted
systems. In addition, glazing applications made with GE's Lexan(R) GLX
resin offers shatter-resistance, and presents automotive designers with
more styling freedom compared with glass. This debut of Lexan(R)
polycarbonate resin in this unique type of roof panel is part of a new
collaboration between ASC and GE Plastics, Automotive, a division of the
General Electric Co., which was also announced here today.
-- ASC Diamondback Viper, Powered by McLaren -- A "snake" with an all-new
skin -- and ultimate display of the production merits of ASC's
patent-pending OmniCarbon(TM) process -- the Diamondback Viper is
super-light and super-fast. It's fitting that ASC, which helped the
Chrysler Group bring the new Dodge Viper SRT10 coupe to life, would,
with the aid of McLaren Performance Technologies, show how the Viper
coupe might be taken to an all-new level of "extreme." The 615hp
Diamondback Viper features a carbon fiber roof, deck lid, rockers,
fascia inserts, body trim and a massive OmniCarbon(TM) hood that shows
off ten unique trumpeted air intakes, with individual port throttles,
peeking through -- a McLaren Performance Technologies feature
reminiscent of McLaren Can-Am engines of the past. The hood also shows
off ASC's expertise in compression-molded carbon fiber, both painted and
woven. It's displayed beautifully, with a broad, clear-coated racing
stripe down the Artic White-painted expanse, subtly outlined by "Viper
Blue" and "McLaren Red" pinstripes. In all, ASC removed about 85 lbs.
of weight from the vehicle -- including cutting the weight of the hood
by nearly half versus the production model. Taken together with the
powertrain modifications by McLaren Performance Technologies, the
power-to-weight ratio was increased, resulting in an estimated increase
in 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. And, importantly, ASC's OmniCarbon(TM)
isn't just light and nice to look at: ASC has reduced cycle times in the
process by 80 percent versus conventional molding methods, and is
confident its process meets OEM production specifications.
-- ASC-Suzuki Wave -- Inventing an all-new segment, the UTV ("ultimate
tailgate vehicle") the Wave concept property was completely designed,
developed and fabricated in ASC's California studio for American Suzuki
Motor Corp. LIFE VEHICLE Concept Series (LIVE). It's one of two such
vehicles designed by ASC (the other, the Dune, also being displayed at
NAIAS, in Suzuki's booth). The Wave's entire rear section behind the
second row of seats pulls out to reveal your own barbeque grille and
cooler deck. Other unique ASC enhancements to the Grand Vitara-based
four-door roadster include new front and rear fascias, modified doors
with new top caps integrating a water-sports theme, and a custom
two-tone paint scheme.
ASC also is displaying at NAIAS one of the true stars of last year's show, the ASC Helios -- a patent-pending body-engineering system that is applicable to many four-door passenger-car architectures. ASC also confirmed today that it is in discussions with several automakers about possible production of ASC's four-door convertible system. In addition, later in the week, after its worldwide debut tomorrow in Mitsubishi Motors' booth, ASC will be displaying the all-new 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, for which ASC supplies the convertible roof system -- the third straight generation of Eclipse supplied by ASC.
High-resolution photographs available http://www.ascglobal.com
ASC is a full-service specialty-vehicle partner for automotive manufacturers, specializing in vehicle design, body engineering, composite body packages and open-air roof systems. Founded in 1965 and headquartered in Southgate, Mich., the company has facilities in Michigan, California and Kentucky, and is on the Web at http://www.ascglobal.com/
* Lexan(R) is a trademark of the General Electric Co.
* Exatec(R) is a trademark of Exatec LLC