Jalopnik: chinese knock-offs

The Lifan 720 Is Not A Honda Accord, We Swear

Andrew Stoy — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:20:00 EDT

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.

[China Car Times]

Fake Ferrari Wears Porsche Badges On China's Coast

Mark Arnold — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:40:00 EDT

This fake Ferrari doesn't look nearly as bad as some of the abominations we've seen, but this was spotted in China, where they've got plenty of experience making knock-offs. Oddly enough, they've decided to place Porsche badges on the fiberglass bodywork. Stranger yet, this isn't even a functioning vehicle: The car-like object parked along the scenic coastline is merely a prop for a local wedding photography studio. More proof that Ferraris and Porsches are the perfect accessories for posing.

[ChinaCarTimes]

Take A Look Inside A Chinese Smart FourTwo Cloning Factory

Ben Wojdyla — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:05:00 EDT

We make jokes all the time about the Chinese propensity to clone all manner of automobile, but actually seeing the process makes things a bit more real. You forget there are people behind those cars, working in god-knows-what condition, and exposed to whatever chemicals seem necessary for the job. This is a set of photos published on the Italian site Repubblica chronicling the process of building a Smart FourTwo ripoff. Normally this is where we'd point to the final product and make an amused joke about the new badge engineered Pontiac, but this just seems, kind of sad.

According to the translated text, these folks toil away for 12 hours a day in unheated factories with no personal protective equipment, lax regulations and questionable usage of child labor. They live in mass housing within the factory and don't get a respectable wage. Oh yeah, "Ha ha ha, Chinese knockoffs" we say, but when you look at the conditions and the work, it's not really that funny any more. Its a fascinating peek into the world of low cost labor, but we wonder if the race to the bottom is really worth the cost.