BMW Group Records its Best Ever May Sales Result Despite European Crisis

The deterioration in the European economy hasn't left the BMW Group unscathed, but the premium German automaker more than compensated for the loss of sales in its home market in May with strong gains in Asia and to a lesser extent in America.

In fact, with 156,957 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles delivered worldwide in May, the group recorded a 6.4 percent increase over the same month last year, achieving its best-ever May sales result.

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Prancing Horse gives Ferrari F458 Italia a Kick in the Fender in China

This video gives a new meaning to horsing around. While driving on a busy road in Shanghai, China, a Ferrari 458 Italia and a Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 were forced to slow down and eventually stop after a pair of horses and their riders were backing up on the street.

Fearing that the horses may hit their vehicles, the drivers of the two Italian exotic supercars decided to make use of their horns...

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Guinness World Record Title for Tightest Parallel Parking Returns to China

For the fifth time in the past two years, the Guinness World Record title for the tightest parallel parking job has changed hands.

Previous titleholders include Ronny Wechselberger from Germany, who parked a VW Polo in a space measuring 26cm (10.24-inches) longer than that of his car, Zheng Da Zong from China, who did the same but with a gap of 24cm (9.45-inches) and Patrik Folco from Italy who broke the record at 22cm (8.66 in).

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Rare Aston Martin One-77 Exotic Crashes in Hong Kong

A very rare Aston Martin One-77 was involved in an accident in Hong Kong last week. We came to know about the crash after pictures of the exotic supercar being loaded on a flatbed hit a Chinese forum.

The circumstances surrounding the accident are unknown at this time, though it appears from the photos that the front and rear corners on the driver's side of the car were damaged.

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Toyota to Roll Out 8 New and Cheap Compact Models for Emerging Markets by 2015

The relative maturity of the North American, European and Japanese markets are forcing Toyota Motor Corp. to look elsewhere for growth and in particular, emerging markets such as Brazil, China and India.

For this reason, the Japanese automaker said on Friday it plans to introduce eight new compact size models designed specifically for developing markets by 2015.

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Chinese Motorcyclist Attacks Cop with a Knife for Pulling Him Over!

No one likes being stopped on the road by a police officer for a traffic violation and while complaining or simply trying to justify your actions to avoid a ticket is part of the game, there is really no point in taking to the next level.

Try telling that to this motorcyclist, though. After a cop on foot pulled him over, the man on scooter blew a gasket and grabbed a large knife stacked in his bike and started chasing the officer! And all this on a busy street in broad daylight!

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Futuristic MG Midget Concept Created by Design Student During Internship at SAIC

More than six years after China's Nanjing Automobiles acquired the once-famed MG brand only to be incorporated itself in SAIC Motor's portfolio a couple of years later, the British carmaker is still struggling to find its way and re-enter the global scene.

At last month's Beijing Auto Show, we saw MG providing a glimpse into the future with the Icon, a study for a small crossover coupe.

Another proposal for a future MG model comes from a design student of the Coventry University in the UK, who created a sports car concept during his internship at SAIC Design.

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New Ferrari Myth Exhibition Opens at Shanghai Expo Park in China

In a special ceremony attended by the company’s Deputy Chairman Piero Ferrari, and representatives of both the Chinese and Italian governments, the Prancing Horse inaugurated its new "Ferrari Myth exhibition" at the Italian Center in the Shanghai Expo Park. Read more »

Fatal Accident with Ferrari 599 GTO Leaves Three Dead in Singapore, Sparks Anti-Foreign Sentiment

A horrific accident that took place in Singapore this past Saturday leaving three people dead and two seriously injured has fueled an outrage in the country.

The crash was captured on film by a vehicle that was not involved in the incident. The video footage shows a blue Hyundai Sonata taxicab pulling ahead a couple of seconds after the green light goes on.

As the taxi reaches the middle of the crossing, we see a speeding red car, later recognized as a rare Sg$1.8 million (US$1.43 million) Ferrari 599 GTO, smashing into the blue sedan. The Ferrari most likely ran a red light. According to reports, the taxi then hit a motorcyclist.

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Chinese Driver Tries to Park, Ends up in a Lake

How hard can it be to park your car in an empty lot with plenty of space for maneuvering? Harder than you think for a Chinese driver of what looks like the local market version of Nissan's Tiida five-door hatchback.

While in the beginning of the video everything seems to be going slow but smoothly, all of a sudden, the driver slams the gas pedal while in reverse with the car smashing through the wall behind it before it fell into the lake.

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Eterniti Records First Sales of its Super SUV at the Beijing Auto Show

The world premiere of the almost production ready Eterniti Artemis SUV at the Auto China 2012 in Beijing earlier this month ended on a positive note as the company recorded its first sales at the event.

The British start-up accepted five orders for the Porsche Cayenne-based model, including four for standard-specification cars, which are priced at £210,000 (US$338,400 or €261,400) plus taxes a piece, and one for a fully customized version, the final price of which will be determined by the customer's specification requirements.

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Child Opens Door and Falls on the Road, Mom Jumps Out to Save it

Even if you do not leave a child alone in the car as this Boston woman did, there is still a possibility that a kid might misbehave and get into trouble, like this youngster did after he or she somehow opened the door of a moving minivan and fell on the road in China.

The security camera footage shows a woman, possibly the child's mother, unsuccessfully reaching out to catch the kid as it opens the door. The child falls down but the mother swiftly jumps out of the moving vehicle leaving the car to drive on by itself.

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Volkswagen People's Car Concept Hovers its Way into Virtual Reality

Following the release of a few photos of the concepts designed under the Volkswagen brand's ongoing 'People’s Car Project' initiative in China, the German company brought to life one of these studies with the help of CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery).

The prototype that Volkswagen chose to exhibit in the video is the Hover Car, which is a concept for a two-seater, circular shaped vehicle that uses electromagnetic levitation to float just above the regular road network.

Jump past the break to see the VW Hover Car concept in action.

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GM Wants Cadillac to Follow in the Successful Footsteps of Buick in China

Last year, Buick sold 177,633 vehicles in the States and 645,537 cars in China, with the Excelle, which is the local version of the Verano sedan, taking the first spot overall in the passenger car segment.

Cadillac, on the other hand, delivered 152,389 vehicles in the U.S. but only about 30,000 in the world's most populous country, despite an increase of 73 percent over 2010.

Given China's thirst for luxury products, it is no wonder that General Motors would like to repeat the success of Buick with its flagship brand.

According to General Motors CEO Dan Akerson, who was speaking on the company's first quarter earnings call for 2012, there is a plan in motion to boost Cadillac's sales in China six-fold in the next few years.

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Dodge Breeze: Chinese Built Minicar Scooped

While Plymouth might be resting in peace, one of its nametags, the “Breeze” will make a reappearance in a Chrysler Group product, and more specifically, in Dodge’s forthcoming Chinese built minicar. This scoop picture appeared on a Chinese internet forum today and it seems to confirm the rumors supporting that Dodge minicar will be a re-badged version of the recently introduced, Chery A1.

We remind you that the Chrysler Group signed an agreement with Chery Automobile Co. last July to jointly develop, produce, and distribute small cars under the Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge brands for North America, Europe and other markets. -Follow the jump for more pictures of the Chery A1

Nissan Launches Qashqai in China

Nissan announced the launch of the Qashqai in China where it will bear the name “Xiaoke”, which means “nomad” in Chinese. The compact crossover will be manufactured at the Huadu plant of Dongfeng Motor (DFL), Nissan's local partner in China which also manufactures the Livina Geniss, Livina, Sylphy, Tiida sedan and hatchback.

In order to meet Chinese customer needs, some modifications from the European Qashqai were made for this market. Among them are an interior color change from black to beige, modification of the sunroof design and the addition of a chrome strip on the side body panel. Power will come from a 2.0L engine delivering 137 PS and the Xiaoke will be available with either a CVT or 6-speed manual transmission and 2WD or 4WD.

Prices in China start at RMB 167,800 (USD: 23,600) for the 2.0L 2WD Manual Transmission, while the 2.0L 4WD CVT Premium Grade is priced at RMB 219,800 (USD: 30,100). Nissan projects sales of more than 3,000 units monthly in China.

Toyota Prius, Peugeot 206, Daewoo Matiz Three-Wheeler Chinese Clones!

Chinese carmakers are just unbelievable! Following a whole bunch of four-wheel knockoffs like the Toyota RAV, Fiat Panda, Scion, BMW X5, Smart Fortwo and MINI Cooper clones, now some Chinese carmaker has launched a series of three-wheelers that shamelessly imitate the looks of a Toyota Prius, a Daewoo Matiz (Chevrolet in Europe) and a Peugeot 206!!! Seriously now; wouldn’t it be great if these guys could just concentrate in using use their vivid imagination to create uniquely designed products? –Continued after the jump


Via: Autoblog.it & Chinacartimes

VW Reveals First Official Convoy Vehicles For the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay

Approximately two months before the Olympic torch arrives in China, Volkswagen unveiled the first convoy vehicles with the official Olympic design to the public in a presentation that took place in Beijing. These models will be part of 1,000 cars which will accompany the Olympic flame gradually on its way across China.

The Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay will last 97 days in total and will cover more than 40,000 kilometers or 25,000 miles. The flame will arrive in Sanya in the South of China on May 4 and will arrive in Beijing on August 8. It will be carried through 113 cities and regions from all 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of China and will be carried also on top of the Mount Everest.

Buick LaCrosse Eco-Hybrid: Made In China

General Motors revealed today (Tuesday, Jan. 22) the company’s first hybrid vehicle that will be built and sold outside of the States. The Buick LaCrosse Eco-Hybrid is made by GM's car joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. and it will be available at Chinese dealerships later on this year. It is the first mainstream hybrid model in China’s upper-medium vehicle segment with volume production and according to GM, the Buick LaCrosse Eco-Hybrid can achieve an avg. fuel economy of 28.3 MPG or 8.3 liters/100 km, compared with 24 MPG or 9.8 liters/100 km for the non-hybrid version. And no, the Chinese Buick Hybrid will not be available in the States. -Details after the jump

PRESS RELEASE

Shanghai GM Inaugurates Drive to Green Strategy

Shanghai, China – In the presence of China Environmental Protection Foundation President Qu Geping and representatives from across its value chain, Shanghai General Motors officially inaugurated its Drive to Green strategy today. The unique strategy covers three key areas: developing green products, cultivating green manufacturing systems and undertaking a green responsibility.

The green strategy is part of Shanghai GM’s support of the sustainable development of China’s automotive industry and the nation’s move toward creating an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly society.

“Addressing the environmental protection and energy security issues is essential for ensuring the automotive industry’s long-term sustainable development,” said Shanghai GM President Ding Lei.

Through technical innovation, Shanghai GM will continue to provide China’s vehicle buyers products that offer better performance, consume less fuel and generate lower emissions than their predecessors. It also will promote environmental protection across its entire value chain.

Green Products – Better Performance, Less Fuel Consumption, Lower Emissions

Green products represent a key element of the Drive to Green strategy. By leveraging GM’s global resources for energy diversification and working closely with Shanghai GM’s sister joint venture – the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) – Shanghai GM will roll out green products that achieve improved performance, lower fuel consumption and lower emissions.

All vehicles manufactured by Shanghai GM in 2008 will meet China’s Phase IV emission standard, with new models being capable of meeting emission standards up to the Phase V standard. Shanghai GM will introduce four green products this year. Between 2009 and 2012, it will begin offering 11 engines that offer better fuel economy than its current engines. Shanghai GM also plans to introduce GM’s E-Flex drive system and Fuel Cell E-Flex electric drive vehicle in China after 2010 to put it on the path toward its ultimate goal of zero fuel consumption and zero emissions.

“General Motors is pleased to be sharing our advanced technology and energy diversification know-how as part of our overall support of Shanghai GM’s product planning,” said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group. “In addition to benefiting the nation’s automakers, the sustainable development of the automotive industry will enable our customers to enjoy a higher quality of life.”

The Buick LaCrosse Eco-Hybrid, which was introduced for the first time at today’s ceremony, is Shanghai GM’s initial green product in 2008. It is the first mainstream hybrid model in China’s upper-medium vehicle segment with volume production. The Buick LaCrosse Eco-Hybrid can achieve fuel economy of 8.3 liters/100 km, compared with fuel economy of 9.8 liters/100 km for the non-hybrid version.

Shanghai GM also will roll out three new engines in 2008, including the 1.2-liter S-TEC efficiency class-leading engine and HFV6 3.6-liter SIDI dual mode direct injection engine. The S-TEC engine generates 52.2 kW/l, which is the highest in its category, and achieves fuel consumption of 6 liters/100 km, which is the lowest among engines with the same displacement. The SIDI dual mode direct injection engine enhances output 15 percent and torque 8 percent compared with the previous version of the engine. In addition, there is a 3 percent improvement in fuel consumption, while hydrocarbon emissions in cold starting can be reduced by up to 25 percent.

Shanghai GM will later launch another, as yet unnamed, vehicle with an advanced two-mode hybrid system. The engine in that vehicle will get 50 percent better fuel economy than a conventional internal combustion engine without sacrificing performance.

Green Systems – Addressing Manufacturing, R&D and the Entire Value Chain

Shanghai GM believes companies that are engaged in manufacturing should actively promote energy efficiency and reduce emissions while influencing their entire value chains. In line with its commitment to green manufacturing, Shanghai GM has made considerable achievements in environmental protection after years of continuous investment, technical innovation and strengthened focus on manufacturing. It is the only automaker in China that has been recognized as a “State Environmentally Friendly Company.”

Under the Drive to Green strategy, Shanghai GM will stick to the principle of becoming an energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and technologically innovative company and affirm its leading position in green manufacturing. At the same time, it will continue to tighten its environmental protection standards in the areas of manufacturing, R&D and engineering.

Shanghai GM is addressing recycling throughout the manufacturing process. Its advanced material management system requires consideration of automotive parts recycling even during the design process. By 2012, up to 95 percent of materials and energy used during the parts design and vehicle manufacturing processes may be able to be recycled, which would meet the standard adopted by the EU and surpass Chinese industry requirements.

By 2012, Shanghai GM’s three manufacturing bases (Jinqiao in Shanghai, Dong Yue in Yantai and Norsom in Shenyang) are expected to have reduced coal consumption per car by 35 percent compared to 2007 levels to 0.31 tons. Shanghai GM also has set targets for decreasing average displacement of wastewater per car by 21 percent and doubling the quantity of reclaimed water by 2012, while saving about 400,000 tons of water over the next five years. The recycling rate of industrial waste is expected to reach 97 percent, an increase of 15 percent from the present time. These initiatives will help address environmental protection issues that have arisen because of the automaker’s rapid growth.

Shanghai GM also will take full advantage of its leading position in vehicle manufacturing to promote environmental protection throughout its entire value chain. Shanghai GM is partners with the World Environment Center in the Green Supply Chain project, which is promoting the sustainable development of Shanghai GM’s suppliers. The project assesses suppliers’ equipment, manufacturing processes and facilities to help improve their energy efficiency and resource utilization. The original eight participating suppliers have reduced their displacement of CO2 by more than 2,500 tons and saved about 28 million gallons (about 106 million liters) of water annually. They also have lowered their operating costs by a collective US$254,500. The number of participating suppliers is targeted to reach 40 by the end of 2008, and could further grow to 150 by 2010.

A similar program, the Green Service Chain project, was created to promote environmental protection in aftersales. While maintaining its emphasis on safety, Shanghai GM will continue to improve the recycling of waste that results during vehicle maintenance and promote the use of high-quality re-manufactured automotive parts to save resources and energy. For example, by adopting re-manufactured transmissions, a company can save 360 tons of steel, 450 tons of aluminum and enormous amounts of electricity for every 10,000 units produced.

Green Responsibility – Setting an Example and Promoting Social Accountability

Shanghai GM believes that automotive companies, together with other manufacturing enterprises and energy firms, have a responsibility to support the Chinese government’s call for saving energy and reducing emissions. As one of the largest vehicle manufacturers in China and one of the nation’s most respected companies, Shanghai GM takes this responsibility seriously. The Drive to Green strategy not only covers green products and manufacturing systems but also involves social responsibility in a wide range of areas such as education, sports, culture, public welfare and environmental protection.

Shanghai GM has formed a strategic partnership with the China Environmental Protection Fund (CEPF), an institution under the State Environmental Protection Administration that is the country’s first foundation focused on environmental protection. Shanghai GM has joined its partner in the establishment of the CEPF-Shanghai GM Green Fund, which sponsors environmental protection projects and promotes cooperation in environmental protection among various institutions. Shanghai GM and the CEPF also have announced that they will set up the China Youth Green Business Plan Competition to fund proposals for environmental protection from the nation’s young people.

Shanghai GM is a joint venture of General Motors Corp. and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC). Established in 1997, Shanghai GM builds, imports and sells a comprehensive range of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and Saab products. It is fully supported by a network of sales, aftersales and parts centers. Shanghai GM has been China’s leader in passenger car sales among joint ventures every year since 2005. In 2007, it had domestic sales of 479,427 vehicles.

Lifan 3-Series: Chinese Create 5door MINI Cooper Clone!

Here we go again; the list with Chinese knockoffs has been enhanced with the addition of a MINI clone made by a carmaker called Lifan. The Lifan 3-Series (how ironic…) was introduced to the Chinese media today, and according to the translation we made from the clonemaker’s official site, the MINI(cat) will go on sale in China during the first half of the year.

Amusingly, Lifan decided to create a 5-door version of BMW Group’s MINI. Even though the Lifan 320 is somewhat disproportioned compared to the original MINI, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the resemblances between the two cars. Check out other Chinese clones here: Cadillac, Smart, Fiat Panda, Scion & Toyota RAV-4 -More pictures of the Chinese MINI after the jump

Official Statement (translated from Chinese)

Tencent vehicle - Recently, the Lifan 320 Weijiao finally lifted the veil of mystery. We have seen through the picture, Lifan The compact cars and MINI very similar, will produce cars there will not be much change. No accident, the first half of this year, this compact cars will be met with consumers. Reportedly, which amounted to 2.6 m wheelbase cars.

Via: Le Blog Auto , Images via: Lefan