Shanghai displayed the body of the city's first self-made luxury sports car yesterday at an international auto exhibition, a newspaper reported today.

The concept car is called Fengyi, meaning Phoenix's glory. The design embodies a phoenix about to take flight, Oriental Morning Post said.

The blue and red car has two headlights like the "eyes of a phoenix," the report added.

Designers also used tai-chi elements in the car, said Yan Lixing, one of its designers. Fengyi has a flexible body that is strong, reflecting the tai-chi belief of combining force and flexibility, Yan added.

The report said the sports car has attracted a lot of attention at Auto Components Shanghai 2008.

The sports car was designed and built by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation with an investment of more than 6 million yuan (US$857,142). The auto maker began to design the vehicle in October, the report said.

The components exhibition is at Shanghai International Exhibition Center on 88 Loushanguan Road. It is open between 9am and 4:30pm today, as well as 9am to 2:30pm tomorrow.

(Shanghai Daily June 3, 2008)