Ford Quietly but Successfully Blocks China's JAC Efforts to Produce F-150 Pickup Truck Clone

Do you remember China's JAC 4R3 pickup truck clone of the Ford F-150 that made headlines earlier this year? For those who can't recall what happened last week, let alone in February, here's a bit of a refresher.

In January, JAC Motors presented a doppelganger of the Ford F-150 called the 4R3 to its domestic dealers, with plans to begin series production towards the end of the year. Naturally, photos were taken at the event and it didn't take long for the news to reach the other side of the Pacific.

At the time, JAC was planning to debut the 4R3 at last week's Auto China 2012 in Beijing, but as you may recall, that didn't happen. Why, you ask? Well, evidently, Ford did what it had to do to protect itself from JAC's unapologetic move to clone the F-150.

Speaking to Autoline's host John McElroy, Bill Coughlin, President and CEO of Ford Global Technologies and Intellectual Property Chief, said that the Blue Oval took all the necessary steps to prevent this from happening.

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JAC Unwraps Heyue SC RWD Coupe and Rein II SUV at the Auto China 2012

As it turns out, the rumors about JAC presenting a near-production version of the Tong Jian S11 coupe concept were true.

At the Beijing Motor Show, JAC lifted the curtains off the Heyue SC Coupe, which retains the styling of Tong Jian's original prototype from the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show sans the different alloy wheels and racing stripes.

However, instead of a hybrid driveline, the Heyue SC Coupe sports a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine producing 163-horses and 217Nm (160 lb-ft) linked to a manual transmission that drives the rear wheels. JAC says the coupereach a top speed of 205km/h (127mph).

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China's Ferrari-Lamborghini-Audi-Inspired S11 Coupe Rumored to Debut as a JAC Model in Beijing

If you're experiencing a little bit of déjà vu after looking at these photos, no need to worry because chances are you remember our post on the red Tong Jian S11 coupe from the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show.

The news coming in from several automotive websites in China is that Jianghuai Automobile, more commonly known as JAC Motors, will present the S11 under its own nameplate at this month's 2012 Auto China Show in Beijing.

The same sources show a set of allegedly scoop photos of the S11 in a yellow exterior finish that they claim to be the JAC model, even though the car does not sport any of the brand's badges.

If true, then JAC Motors, which recently made headlines in the States for cloning the Ford F-150 pickup truck, may have come sealed some sort of deal with Tong Jian to build the coupe – that or it just "borrowed" the design…

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