380kg, 30km/l: plastic city car shows way

Published Jul 6, 2005

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Donington Park, England - French minicar maker Aixam says its A.751 shows the future of inner-city motoring. The tiny 2+2 will be displayed at the Motability Roadshow 2005 at Donington Park from July 7-9.

The Aixam A.751 is a low environmental impact car designed for city and short-hop commuting. It hs 2+2 seating in a vehicle less than three metres long, uses a 479cc Kubota diesel and and has a constantly variable automatic transmission - the only gear selection required is forwards or reverse.

The car is built on an aluminium chassis and occupant safety cell, is clad in impact-resistant polycarbonate panels, and weighs only 380kg.

It has rack-and-pinion steering, Macpherson strut fronts and independent trailing-arm rear suspension. The brakes have discs up front and drums at the rear.

The maker claims an 80km/h top speed balanced by a fuel consumption figure of only 3.55 litres/100km. The A.751 is the only vehicle in its class to have passed crash-testing by French industrial test company UTAC.

The cabin has conventional front seats and a rear bench that folds to make space for shopping or bigger loads - even a wheelchair. It has a digital dashboard, anti-theft system and powerwindows.

The controls can be easily adapted for disabled drivers.

Aixam claims virtually 100 percent recyclability for the car; the aluminium frame can be melted down for re-use and the ABS acrylic body material can be ground for re-use.

- The A.751 is built by Aixam Mega at Aix-les-Bains in France and is now available in Britain. Pricing is not yet final but is expected to start at about £7500 (R90 000 at 06/07/05), including a two-year warranty.

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