29 Oct 2003

LEXAN® SLX FILM AND XENOY® RESIN MAKE A GREAT DUO FOR AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURERS

-- The New Smart™ Roadster and Smart™ Roadster-Coupe Hit The Road With Resins From GE Plastics --

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands - June 23, 2003 - Smart GmbH, a European auto manufacturer best known for Smart™ city car brand and business unit of Daimler Chrysler AG, has selected GE Plastics’ new LEXAN® SLX film for the hard top cover application of its new Smart Roadster-Coupe. The body panels on both the new Smart Roadster and Smart Roadster-Coupe also use molded-in-color and impact-resistant XENOY® resin from
GE Plastics.

LEXAN® SLX Resin Hard Top

The roof module of the new Smart Roadster-Coupe consists of a 3-layer system co-extruded with new LEXAN SLX film layer. A new weatherable polymeric film, LEXAN SLX, can produce class A molded-in-color surfaces without the need for painting or clear coating. LEXAN SLX film can be applied over a variety of thermoplastic and thermoset substrates through an in-mold decoration process. This revolutionary film is the result of ongoing R&D for a weatherable polymer system designed to eliminate the need for paint shops and painting processes in automotive exterior applications.

Tests conducted by GE show that this hard surface thermoplastic has the potential to withstand the rigors of both road conditions and car wash systems. LEXAN SLX film compares well to other commonly used polymers for unpainted exterior applications. When tested over 25,000 kJ/m2, a test that is used as an equivalent to over 10 years of Florida exposure – LEXAN SLX film retained 95% of its gloss. When back-molded with a PC/PBT resin and subjected to various OEM paint specification tests, LEXAN SLX film was found in most cases to perform better or equal to exterior paint systems. Some of the more strikingly positive results were in tests on scratch resistance and resistance to automotive fluids and aggressive agents such as brake fluid and acid rain.

Both the Smart Roadster and Smart Roadster-coupé can be driven with a hard and soft top. The removable hard top is available as standard for the Smart Roadster (matte) and the Smart Roadster-Coupe (gloss). The hard top consists of two halves. Both roof halves weigh only 5 kg respectively and can be removed and stowed in the rear luggage compartment quickly and easily.

Smart™ Continues To Select XENOY® resin

Used originally for Smart City-Coupe and Cabrio cars’ interchangeable body panels, XENOY PC/PBT resin offers many advantages such as the direct molding potential that can eliminate several production steps compared with traditional materials. GE Plastics first generation of molded-in-color XENOY PC/PBT resin was developed to support the critical product needs of automotive designers as they continue to explore the benefits of replacing metal with engineering thermoplastics in body panels. In addition to helping to lower vehicle weight and cost, XENOY PC/PBT resin can open new horizons in styling and functionality when compared to traditional materials. This resin has outstanding durability, high heat stability over a wide temperature range (-20°C to 80°C) and excellent chemical resistance to most automotive fuels. The sporty body panels of the Smart car demonstrate the excellent molded-in-color capability and aesthetics of high performance XENOY PC/PBT resin.

GE Plastics currently offers XENOY resin in a broad range of in-mold colors, all distinguished by their unique brightness and depth of color. The technology is now available for customers in the automotive and outdoor vehicle applications.

Smart was established in April 1994. The company Smart employees a total of 2,000 people in Böblingen, Germany and Hambach, France. Smart GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler Chrysler AG. Information and experience transfers within the innovative group ensure the very best possible solutions. For example, the Smart cdi has the world's most compact unit in common rail diesel technology, built in the Daimler Chrysler engine factory in Berlin. Apart from the innovative strength of a young company, this link also guarantees the consistency in terms of product quality and safety, which you would expect of the inventor of the automobile

Reader enquiries

GE Plastics
Plasticslaan 1
4600 AC Bergen op Zoom
Netherlands

Helen Vandebovenkamp
helen.vandebovenkamp@ge.com

Tel: +31 164 29 20 97
Fax: +31 164 29 10 66
Netherlands

+31 164 29 20 97

helen.vandebovenkamp@ge.com

www.geplastics.com

Notes for editors

GE Plastics is a leading producer of engineering thermoplastics with major production facilities worldwide. GE Plastics materials, including LEXAN polycarbonate, are used in a wide variety of applications such as CDs and DVDs, automobile parts, computer housings, cookware, outdoor signage, cell phones, bullet- resistant shielding and building materials. Through its LNP Engineering Plastics business, the company is a worldwide leader in the custom compounding of engineering thermoplastics. GE Plastics is also a global distributor of sheet, film, rod and tube products through GE Polymershapes and GE Structured Products. In 2003 GE Plastics is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of LEXAN polycarbonate, discovered in 1953 by GE chemist Dr. Daniel W. Fox. The company's web site is located at www.geplastics.com, and to learn more about LEXAN visit www.gelexan.com.

XENOY and LEXAN are registered trademarks of General Electric Company.

Smart is a trademark of Smart GmbH.