Chinese Hybrid Sports Car Mixes Audi R8 and Ferrari Styling Traits

It has come to the point where this blatant copying of Western car designs from Chinese auto manufacturers is getting totally ridiculous. The Tong Jian S11 that was reportedly revealed at the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year but somehow escaped our radars, borrows several styling cues from a number of vehicles including the Audi R8-esque profile and the Ferrari-inspired tail design.

The Tong Jian S11 is said to be a hybrid sports car that presumably combines electric motors with an internal combustion engine. There are no specific details on the car's mechanics nor if it is scheduled to enter production at some point.

Via: Leblogauto & Autoblog.com , Images: Goche Sohu

READ MORE - Chinese Hybrid Sports Car Mixes Audi R8 and Ferrari Styling Traits

VIDEO: Bertone Mantide Presentation at Shanghai Auto Show

We've pretty much summed up our feelings about John Castriota's Corvette ZR1-based Bertone Mantide in our previous post here, so we're not going to get into the design discussion again. Just hit the jump to watch to watch the coupe's presentation from the Shanghai Auto Show earlier this month, and don't forget to lower the volume of your speakers because you're probably going to get as annoyed as we did the music background.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

READ MORE - VIDEO: Bertone Mantide Presentation at Shanghai Auto Show

Honda Accord SR-9 Study Unveiled in Shanghai, Looks Better than Acura TSX

One of the new models at the Shanghai Auto Show that managed to momentarily escape our attention is the Honda Accord SR-9 concept study that was designed in cooperation with the firm's Chinese joint venture, Guangzhou Honda. Compared to the European-spec Accord and the North American market Acura TSX (they are the same cars), the Accord SR-9 features a newly designed front bumper with concave surfaces and a restyled grille with honeycomb inserts.

The show car also featured a set of side skirts and beefier seven-spoke alloy wheels. Even though the styling mods are minimal, the tweaked fascia would be a welcome change for both the European-market Accord and the Acura TSX.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

READ MORE - Honda Accord SR-9 Study Unveiled in Shanghai, Looks Better than Acura TSX

Shanghai Clone Wars: Landwind X8 vs Mitsubishi Outlander

There are clones and there are clones. While some come pretty close such as Lifan Motors' effort to give birth to a five-door MINI Cooper, other like Jiangling Motors's Landwind X8 that made its debut at the Shanghai Show this week, is a dead ringer for Mitsubishi's Outlander. For those of you with a weak memory, China's Landwind became known for being the first Chinese automaker to enter the European market with the SUV that spectacularly failed a crash test carried out by the ADAC, Germany's largest auto club.

And it's not only the exterior design of the Outlander that has been copied, it's also the interior as the X8 gets the same exact dashboard styling with the deep set instrument panel featuring the two circular tube-like structures.

But you still haven't heard the best part of the story; according to the Landwind, the X8 will be offered with two engines: a common-rail turbo diesel from Italy's VM Motori that develops 140HP and 350Nm of torque and -get this- a Mitshubishi sourced, 2.4-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with 150HP!

Sales of the Landwind X8 are to start in China during the second half of the year.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Mitsubishi Outlander SUV

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Landwind X8 SUV

READ MORE - Shanghai Clone Wars: Landwind X8 vs Mitsubishi Outlander

Shanghai Clone Wars: Great Wall Florid Bonds Scion xA with Toyota Yaris

One of the most eye-popping examples of car-cloning at this year's Shanghai Auto Show is the Florid hatchback from China's Great Wall Motors. What's surprising about the Florid is the fact that it actually copies the design of two vehicles, bonding in a uniquely Chinese way, the body of a Scion xA to the front end of a current generation Toyota Yaris. Inside, the Chinese automaker preferred to keep things simple, maintaining the original Scion xA's dashboard layout.

The driving force behind the Yaris and xA "inspired" subcompact hatch is a Great Wall Motors developed 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 87 horsepower and a maximum torque of 115Nm. For the 2009MY - or so to say, Great Wall Motors extened the Florid's range with the introduction of more powerfull 1.5-liter engine with 105HP.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

2006 Scion xA

READ MORE - Shanghai Clone Wars: Great Wall Florid Bonds Scion xA with Toyota Yaris

VIDEO: 2010 Audi Q7 Facelift in Motion

The hard-working folks from Ingolstadt have released the first official videos of the facelifted Q7 SUV that made its world premiere at this week's Shanghai Auto Show. Hallmark features of the 2010MY Q7 include a series of not so noticeable cosmetic updates here and there along with a new energy recovery system that helps reduce fuel consumption and a revised version of the 4.2-liter V8 TDI diesel engine that now churns out 340HP. Hit the jump to watch the refreshed Q7 in action.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

READ MORE - VIDEO: 2010 Audi Q7 Facelift in Motion