Rinspeed Develops a Transparent Car

eXasis Photos

This is the eXasis, the supposed separation from the material world. (Photo: Rinspeed)

Theres more to the car than its plastic skin... (Photo: Rinspeed)

It looks as if it should really belong on Mars... (Photo: Rinspeed)

That motor back there provides enough thrust to make this Rinspeed comperable to a Porsche. (Photo: Rinspeed)

Just Plain Crazy

Detroit might be a couple of weeks away, but Swiss automaker (or should be toymaker?) Rinspeed is already ramping up for the debut of a wild new concept at its homeshow of Geneva, which will occur early next spring. After last years enlightening zaZen concept, not to mention building the worlds first four-wheeled hydrofoil, the Splash, Rinspeed has moved on to embodying the concept of “dematerialization”, described as the process of separating from the material world. These creative Swiss designers and engineers have come up with the eXasis, drive-able dematerialization.

This has a lot to do with the way the vehicle looks - a cigar-shaped machine with four open wheels that seats two passengers in tandem. Inspiration for this car came from everything from the Auto Union race cars of the 1930s to the desert racers that cross the Baja 1000 off-road race. While the shape is certainly going to turn heads, the eXasis is otherworldly because of what its made of. Like most hand-built, small-volume sports and performance cars, the eXasis features a tubular skeleton made from aluminum, but it is wrapped in a transparent skin. It might look like its made from glass, but the bodywork of the eXasis is made from a tough plastic material. It promises to deliver one heck of a view for the rear passenger, giving them the ability to see right through the cars floor!

Because the eXasis is a lightweight machine, it doesnt require a large motor to deliver speedy performance. Rinspeed fit a 750 cc Weber Turbo motor at the rear of the car. This pint-sized (technically, a little more than a pint and a half) pumps out an impressive 150 horsepower and 111 lb-ft of torque, which gives it a weight-to-power ratio of 11 lbs/hp, which is equal to that of a Porsche. Its no wonder that this little machine can hit 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 130 mph. Naturally, this rear-engined, two-cylinder sports car is efficient; aside from using very little fuel to move its 1,653 pound weight around, it also runs on bioethanol alcohol, so its environmental footprint is even smaller.

As for the driving experience, its bound to be absolutely thrilling; Rinspeed has an impressive resume that includes improving the performance and handling characteristics of Porsches, as well as other high-performance vehicles. Attached to the skinny frame are front and rear double wishbone suspension systems developed by KW Suspensions, as well as massive 6-piston 15-inch front and 14-inch rear disc brakes. G-forces appear to the eXasis best friend, its weight being supported by 265/30R22 front tires and 295/25R22 rear tires. The eXasis might not look like it belongs to this material world, but its got performance thats bound to be better than most material supercars.