Zumikon, Switzerland and Leverkusen, Germany, Wednesday, February 28, 2007 -- (Business Wire India) -- Engine performance: 150 brake horsepower, maximum speed: 210 kph, acceleration: 0 to 100 kph in 4.8 sec. It all sounds like fun driving, but is there perhaps a slight feeling of guilt about the environmental impact? No need for that, not here.

That driving enjoyment can go hand in hand with ecology is demonstrated in no uncertain manner by the Rinspeed eXasis, which was developed jointly by the Swiss car design company and Bayer MaterialScience AG (NYSE:BAY)(LSE:BYR)(GER:BAY). Thanks to its transparent lightweight plastic construction in Makrolon(R) polycarbonate, it weighs only 750 kg. The car is propelled by a 750 ccm Weber engine with only two cylinders. Its average consumption is 6.3 liters of bioethanol E85 (= 4.5 liters of gasoline) per 100 km, and because ethanol is virtually CO2-neutral in the ecological balance, its CO2 emissions amount to a mere 20 g (!) per kilometer. E85 is a renewable biofuel from pure biomass that had previously stored the CO2 that is released during combustion in the engine. For comparison, a typical mid-class car emits around 200 g CO2 per km.

"Cars must become even lighter to save CO2, and there's no way of doing without modern plastics for this. Nor must environmentally compatible cars be seen as 'an exercise in self-denial'. On the contrary, they must be fun, otherwise nobody would buy them." Rinspeed boss Frank M. Rinderknecht and Bayer MaterialScience Board member, Ian Paterson, are fully agreed on this. With their third concept vehicle, the completely transparent eXasis, both companies have turned their common ideas and inspirations into reality, and come up with a yellow eco-roadster packed full of dynamism.

It seems that losing weight is just as important for a car as it is for a human being. This is why Bayer MaterialScience has devoted so many years to designing body elements with innovative plastics. Apart from Makrolon(R) polycarbonate, the eXasis also contains some polyurethane parts, which offer both outstanding design freedom - and not just in cars - and also bring considerable cost savings.

Information for editors: Extensive information and illustrative material are available on: www.rinspeed.com and www.presse.bayerbms.de

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Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F). The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

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Media contact details
CONTACT:

Rinspeed:
Frank M. Rinderknecht
+41 44 918-2323
fmr@rinspeed.com
www.rinspeed.com
or
Bayer MaterialScience:
Gerd Dressen
+49 214 30-66204
gerhard-johannes.dressen@bayerbms.com
www.bayermaterialscience.com


CONTACT:

Rinspeed:
Frank M. Rinderknecht
+41 44 918-2323
fmr@rinspeed.com
www.rinspeed.com
or
Bayer MaterialScience:
Gerd Dressen
+49 214 30-66204
gerhard-johannes.dressen@bayerbms.com
www.bayermaterialscience.com