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."
But looking at this abomination, the DNA is obvious — like Lifan's engineering team took a Mini Cooper, cut it in half, slapped a few extra inches on the frame to give room for a second set of full-size doors, then welded the whole thing back together — into a four-door Mini Cooper. We're at a total loss for words here — after one look at this Mini Cooper clone we're wondering whether intellectual property even exists anymore. Then we remember that it's China and oh yeah, it actually doesn't. [The Tycho]