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You may remember Lifan from its pseudo-Mini Cooper 320 revealed at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show. A new report suggests the company isn't content to rest on just Mini's laurels, no sir. Recognizing that the Cooper is a niche vehicle, Lifan has elected to copy reverse-engineer take inspiration from the Honda Accord for a new sedan called the 720. We don't have details yet, but the images below show the Accord is such a good design it has spontaneously appeared in two countries at once. Miraculous. More »
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Now that the Beijing Olympics are over and the need to reduce the capital’s smog is gone, Chinese car makers can get back to doing what they do best: copying successful western car designs while cranking out the clones super cheap. We admire China’s style; why fuss over safety, performance or emissions when all consumers really want is a look? MonsterAuto.ca gives us their six favorite Chinese car clones, along with useful comparo shots so you don't find yourself leaving the Benz dealer in a BYD F8. MonsterAuto More »
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In honor of the 2008 Summer Olympics we've decided to dip into our extensive knowledge of the Chinese auto industry to pick out the most amazing cars and trucks from the industrial manufacturing giant. It's kind of like a Chinese car bingo cheat sheet for you to use if you're heading to Beijing this week. Some are cars or concepts that represent the unique design and spirit of China, others are horrible attempts to copy interpretations of western models and at least one has Gullwing doors. If we missed your favorite, drop us a comment below. More »
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OK, we thought the Beijing Auto Works B60 was a great example of the badge-copying madness out of this week's Beijing Motor Show. Until we saw the Lifan 320. Don't get us wrong, the Jeep is a great example — but the 320 takes the brand flattery dial and turns it up to "11." The moment you set eyes on that front grille, the line of the hood and that rear end, you get flashbacks to the "Italian Job," so instantaneously do you know from whence the design direction originates. In fact, it doesn't even look like Lifan tries to hide the copyright-infringing brand bastardization — it's almost as if they're saying "Look, it's not mini-sized anymore, so it's obviously not a MINI." More »
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We reported the other day that the Ganja Automobile Factory had cut a deal to produce cars for a foreign manufacturer, and now we've got more details. Apparently, besides the Russian VAZ cars the factory already produces, they'll also crank out 2,500 cars, minibuses and light trucks for Chinese automaker Lifan. Still, details are nebulous, due to the article having written by someone who either naturally has a limited command of the English language or was just really, really stoned. More »
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The copyediting geniuses at Askaprice.com came up with this slice of brilliance: More »
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