As the Chevrolet brand moves upmarket outside of North America, General Motors needed to create a new entry level brand to sell cars in China, now the largest auto market in the world. In conjunction with Chinese partners SAIC and Wuling, GM has created the Baojun brand, which literally means “treasured horse”. Baojun is expected...
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With Citroen looking to move upmarket with its new DS line, the French company is looking to produce two striking new concepts to help boost the brand’s image. The outlandish Survolt concept car, an all-electric sports car, is under consideration after it completed a race at the LeMans circuit. The Survolt puts out 248 horsepower...
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Holy bling Batman! You’ll need to don sunglasses to marvel at this very special edition of the Smart Fortwo convertible. Created by Anjuny, a luxury car accessory brand, this blinged-out Smart Fortwo convertible is available in China and comes covered with over 280,000 Swarovski crystals. But it doesn’t stop there – open the door and...
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General Motors is poised to sell more cars in China than in the United States this year, which would mark the first time the U.S. auto giant’s largest market wasn’t it’s domestic market. So far this year sales in China have exceeded those in the U.S., with a total of 1,209,138 units moved in China...
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China is set to overtake Germany as Porsche’s #2 market, as the company’s Chinese division gears up to sell 16,000 units by 2012. Porsche moved 8,629 units last year, with 83% of them being the Cayenne SUV. The launch of an all new Cayenne is expected to boost sales ever further, but Porsche still expects...
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China’s Geely is planning on moving 150,000 Volvos in China by 2015, a prediction that could very well come true in the world’s largest car market. According to reports, Geely will manufacture the Volvo XC60 and S60 in China by 2011, while discontinuing production the S40 compact sedan at its Chinese factories. Geely will establish...
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Nobody likes taxes, but just like a fat refund check, Chinese taxes on displacement mean that the 2011 Porsche Cayenne V6 will ditch the 3.6L V6 that is available in other world markets, and instead get the 3.0L Supercharged V6 available on the Cayenne Hybrid and the Audi S4. China taxes vehicles with a displacement...
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How do you solve a problem like driving on the opposite side on the road? You just flip it over – and that’s exactly what Dutch architectural firm NL Architects wants to do with part of a road connection between Hong Kong and mainland China. Here’s the problem – in Hong Kong, people drive on...
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The Chinese auto market has a strange fascination with stretched versions of compact and mid-size sedans, the the stretched BMW 5-Series (pictured), the Audi A4L and the stretched Mercedes-Benz E-Class to name a few. BMW wants a bigger piece of the action and is teaming of with Chinese automaker Brilliance (yes, that Brilliance) to build...
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China is the world’s biggest auto market in the world, so it might not be so surprising that China is also Hyundai‘s new biggest market, after the automaker sold more cars in China than Korea for the second straight month. Buoyed by the success of the Yuedong (aka our Elantra) and the Tuscon crossover, Hyundai...
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Thanks to a patent filing process in China, it has been revealed that the Chevy Volt will be badged as a Buick model in what is now the world’s largest auto market. To be more specific, the Opel Ampera (the European version of the Volt) will actually be badged as a Buick. You see, in...
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Nearly 13 years ago today, Britain handed over sovereignty of Hong Kong to the Chinese government, ending a 99-year lease on the territory, and signaling the end of a British presence in China. Now, reports from various news agencies say that India’s Tata Motors is looking at building Jaguar and Land Rover assembly plants in China. Like...
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In China Buick sells several models we don’t get here, including the GL8 van. Recently, a replacement for the current GL8 was spotted camoed-up and testing in China, looking a lot like the Buick Business Concept first shown at the Shanghai Auto Show last year. The current GL8 is based off the tremendously old Pontiac...
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Daimler, parent company of Mercedes-Benz and BYD, China’s fastest growing car company, established a joint venture to develop electric cars in China. Based in the industrial city of Shenzen, the two companies respective experience with electric cars complements one another. BYD is experienced with battery and drivetrain systems, while Daimler will bring their knowledge of...
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Honda was forced to shut down all four of its Chinese car plants, after 1,850 workers at an auto parts plant went on strike over wages. The strike is reported to have crippled Honda’s production capability in what is now the world’s largest car market. The lack of parts means that Honda is unable to...
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The last Hummer H3 is destined for an Avis rental car fleet, after it left the factory on Monday, May 24th 2010. GM actually shut down production of the H3 in July, 2009, but kept the plant going to fill a special order of H3s made by the rental firm. GM is shuttering the Hummer...
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The Chinese city of Shenzen recieved a fleet of 40 electric taxicabs last week, marking a historic milestone for China and electric vehicles. The taxis, made by Chinese automaker BYD have a top speed of 140 km/h, and are capable of getting 300 miles on a single charge.BYD, backed by American investor Warren Buffet, is...
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Buick‘s version of the Chevrolet Cruze, known in China as the Excelle, has been caught undisguised again, this time in sporty GT trim. The Excelle uses the same platform as the Chevrolet Cruze and Opel Astra, and even uses the same 1.4L, 138 horsepower turbo four-cylinder, but the Excelle also gets a bigger, 1.6L version...
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In a shockingly forthright appraisal of the Chinese auto market, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche laid out the harsh reality for the Chinese auto market, stating that petroleum-powered vehicles are not sustainable due to the massive demand, and that electric vehicles are imperative. Speaking at an event in Beijing, Zetsche remarked “If you look at the...
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In what can only be described as some kind of bizarre, inter-connected cosmic wave, two home made supercars have surfaced on the web, paying homage to their respective brands but looking remarkably similar. Our first pseudo-supercar comes from Armenia, where Henrik I. Matevossian has been working on his labor of love for 25 years! Matevossian...
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Women in China buy four times as many Ferraris as women in North America, thanks in part to newfound prosperity and a glut of female entrepreneurship. Of the 220 Ferrari cars sold last year in China, 44 were bought by women. In an interview with GoAuto, Ferrari CEO Amadeo Felisa stressed the importance of the Asia-Pacific...
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The Beijing Auto Show has brought a slate of new releases from companies like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bentley, but the most opulent and outrageous vehicle is a homegrown Chinese product. The Hongqi may look like a poor imitation of a Rolls Royce, but the Hongqi Limo is a serious car in its own right. At...
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Ahead of its debut at the Beijing Auto Show, Mercedes has just unveiled its new Shooting Break Concept – which by all accounts is a near-production vehicle. In many ways this is the CLS equivalent of the E-Class wagon although its not quite as innovative as this new wagon-meets-hatchback design is already being popularized by...
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As a sign of how important Ferrari takes the emerging marketplace in China, the exotic Italian automaker has just announced a limited edition 599 China Edition model. Just twelve Chine Edition cars will be made in a special Rosso Fuoco red exterior paint, with the roof and pillars painted in gray. The car was designed...
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