Tycho, my Dutch friend in Beijing, scored the big one with his fake F150 story. After we wrote about it, everybody from Motor Trend to Pickupinfo.ru wrote about it as well, taking the Carnewschina.com server on a shakedown tour. Tycho does what a good journo needs to do: Feed the beast. He found even better pictures of the pseudo Ford. And he found imagery of its older brother. Which is a Chevy copypaste. Read More >
American carmakers cast worried glances on Senators and union groups that want to create a level playing field with China. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Sherrod Brown, alongside union representatives and the labor-backed Economic Policy Institute try to push “the administration to bring a possible case at the World Trade Organization or begin a U.S. Commerce Department investigation that could lead to duties on Chinese-made auto parts,” as Reuters reports.
A study by the EPI alleges that the Chinese auto parts industry has received $27.5 billion in government subsidies since 2001. The study forgets that large parts of the U.S. auto industry would not be here anymore, would it not have been bailed-out by the U.S. government.
Why are carmakers horrified by the surely well-meant suggestion? Several reasons: Read More >
Chinese blame their notoriously jam-packed streets on all kinds of things, preferably on government-types driving around needlessly in their government-issued cars. This time, it’s different. This traffic jam is caused by young couples who rush to the altar the municipal government building for their nuptials. Why the sudden run on weddings? Read More >
In the olden days, you banged your girl, and then got married. In China, as modern as it may be, the big bang is after the wedding ceremony. No Chinese wedding is complete without WWIII – worthy fireworks. The delivery vehicles for the marriage-megatonnage are purpose-converted ‘salute cars.’ As Tycho of Carnewschina tells us, the salute cars “are mostly based on old Beijing-Jeeps, dressed in military style with a big and scary rocket launcher in the back.” Read More >
David Mulroney, Canada’s ambassador to China, was mocked on a Chinese social networking site for committing a major social faux pas – according to commenters on Weibo, a Chinese social networking site, Mulroney’s Toyota Camry, his official car, lacked sufficient prestige for a man of his station.
Remember when Ford dragged Ferrari into the U.S. district court in Detroit, after Ferrari had the nerve to call their new Formula One racer the “F150”? Ford feared massive dilution of their F-150 truck mark and sued. Ferrari relented. Let’s see what Ford will do about this overdose of trademark and design patent infringement: Read More >
With Audi offering an A4L in China, BMW naturally has to get in on the act. Now that a new, locally made 3-Series is debuting, BMW will offer a 335Li for customers who want to be driven, rather than drive the…erm…Ultimate Driving Machine.
According to TTAC’s North Korean correspondent, “Mercedes of various models and age serve as the premium mode of transport for the rich and powerful.” China had to do something. And do they did. A Japanese car (of sorts) competes with German iron in the North Korean motor pool. Read More >
The world’s largest automakers are hugely dependent on China. More than a quarter of GM’s and Volkswagen’s global sales are coming from China. With Europe’s market predicted to be flat or negative, and with only modest growth expected for the U.S., automakers are looking to the BRIC countries for long-term growth. Currently, the growth in China has more or less stopped. Are automakers betting on the wrong horse? Read More >
No, this is not a 1961 Rolls Royce Phantom. Fooled you. It is a ‘wedding car’ made by a Chinese company called Qingdao Soar Automobile. According to Carnewschina (which has more pictures,) Read More >
Two weeks ago, Bertel stole from me we brought you the very first pictures of the China-only RUF XL, a Porsche Panamera stretched by 40 centimeters exclusively for the limousine-orientated Chinese car market. The story has since been all over the internet.
Today, I present you the first pictures of the interior. This Porsche sure looks like a comfortable place to smoke a cigar, play with your second and/or third wife and to tell the driver to take it easy, or to go like stink. Read More >
The Buick Excelle is China’s top selling car in 2011, moving 254,000 units? Buick sold roughly 178,000 vehicles in the USA by contrast.
Read More >
Rare earth free electric motor
China is learning an interesting lesson: Only take a hostage if the other side wants it back. According to Japan’s Kyodo Newswire [sub], Toyota “has acquired technology to produce hybrid and electric vehicles without using rare earths and may begin doing so in about two years.” Read More >
Could Saab end up in Turkish hands? According to Bloomberg, Turkish private equity firm Brightwell Holdings will bid for the remnants of Saab, with a view to producing cars again.
China’s first mass-produced military jeep was made by Chongqing Chang’an, a predecessor of today’s Chang’an Automotive, a joint venture partner of Suzuki, PSA, and Ford. Read More >
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