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Roof specialist Karmann - as in Karmann Ghia - has shown its own concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Sport Utility Cabrio (SUC) is a soft-topped SUV which displays Karmann's latest roof technology and a continuous damping chassis control system by collaborators ZF Friedrichshafen. The roof has a separate glass rear window and a soft top which completely covers the cabin and boot; the separate window means that boot space is unrestricted and it is easy to load luggage. Other simple but effective measures include the door hinges: the side doors, with an adaptive sealing system which clamps them shut when the car is moving or parked, open clamshell-style and can open up to 90 degrees with a facility to fix them at any angle. Ergonomically-designed horizontal door handles sit flush with the door panels until touched, and also contain sensors to unlock the side panels and sills and deactivate the sealing system. The rear window is integrated into the tailgate.
Karmann and ZF Friedrichshafen have carried out feasibility studies, and reckon that there is large potential for the SUC in Europe and the USA: they estimate that sales could reach 180,000 units a year between 2009, when it could come to market, and 2015. In the meantime, "with the SUC we show what we can do", says project manager Ronald Wellmann. "Of course, individual elements can also be transferred to other vehicle concepts."