Oops, They Did it Again: Plum-Flavored Lamborghini Aventador Replica in China

Before you sprout something nasty about Chinese replica makers after seeing these photos of a purple-colored Lamborghini Aventador wannabe, one should keep in mind that over the years, we've seen a great number of supercar clones from countries all over the world, but mostly, from the good ol' US of A…

With that of out the way, let's see what we have here. Well, for starters, the spotter tells us it was purportedly photographed in the city of Neijiang in southeastern China and that it obviously apes the design of the V12-motivated Aventador.

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China's BAIC Looking to Buy one of Three Suitable European Automakers

As Chinese automakers grow (locally) and acquire more money, their expansionist tendencies will begin to take hold and what better market to concentrate on than the mature and traditional, but currently cash-strapped Europe.

Since Geely bought Volvo, we have become used to the idea of foreign ownership of an old European manufacturer. In fact, Volvo is on the road to doing quite well, even though they are not really there yet, I think, especially not with their limited lineup of models.

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Honda Launches New Crider in China Filling the Gap Between Civic and Accord [63 Photos]

The final production version of Honda's all-new Crider middle class sedan landed in the brand's Chinese showrooms today. Designed exclusively for customers in China, Honda's press blurb states that the Crider targets "those who were born in 1980s, known for the energetic pursuit of their dreams".

Whereas last year's Crider Concept not only captured our attention but also managed to impress us if you exclude the overly detailed front end, the real-life model is simply put, a mundane exercise on the Civic formula with a rather awkward looking profile – at least with these wheels and nose.

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China Threatens the EU with Higher Import Duties on Luxury Cars

Starting a trade war with the world’s largest car market is not a very wise decision for any country that has a strong auto industry, much less for the European Union, which is home to some of the most important carmakers in the world.

However, this is really on the verge of happening, as the EU has imposed duties on Chinese solar panels, infuriating the government of the world’s most populous country, which retaliated by launching an anti-dumping investigation into imported European wine.

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Artist Imagines New China Brand Zinoro's BMW X1-Based SUV

Making use of the details revealed in fresh spy shots of the new Zinoro brand's BMW X1-based SUV like the ones we shared with you on Monday, the artistic crew from X-Tomi Design has attempted to give us an unobstructed view of the China-market model by grafting on a new face to the Bavarian model. Read more »

Scoop: New Hyundai Mistra Sedan Spotted Testing in Korea

Over the past few years, China's car market has grown and matured to the point that it makes sense for foreign automakers to design and develop more bespoke models tailored to the needs of local buyers.

Even Hyundai has jumped on the bandwagon and is now preparing a China-exclusive mid-sized family sedan that was previewed as a very thinly disguised concept car named the Mistra at the recent Shanghai Auto Show 2013.

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McLaren Expects China Demand to Double its Asia Sales This Year

McLaren Automotive, the car-making branch of the McLaren Group, is expecting its sales in Asia to more than double this year fueled by demand from China. Although overall deliveries will be little changed this year, Asia’s share of McLaren’s global sales will rise to 25 percent from 10 percent in 2012. Read more »

MotorTrend Goes All the Way to China to Experience the New Bentley Flying Spur

The Bentley Continental Flying Spur was always hampered by one thing – no, I'm not talking about VW Phaeton’s platform, because that was excellent and gave the driver huge confidence. The thing that hampered the car was the fact it was called Continental, meaning it shared a lot in common with its (cheaper) two-door sibling the Continental GT – it was a version of that model with two extra doors. Read more »

Scoop: Did BMW Clone its X1 Into the China Market Zinoro EV SUV?

When it comes to China and automotive doppelgangers, it's Chinese manufacturers cloning Western carmakers' models, but what you're seeing here is a European company turning one of its own cars into a Chinese-badged product, in this case, BMW using the X1 as a base for its upcoming Zinoro brand.

At least that's what it looks like because BMW may further alter the design of the car before it reaches production.

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Tesla Model S Reportedly Going to China, Could Debut This Year

Tesla wants to expand its sale operations for the the Model S (and future models), as according to the Chinese media, the Silicon Valley-based automaker is bringing the all-electric sedan to the Chengdu motor show, in September. Already a pretty expensive car, the Model S could end up costing a lot more once it’s all-taxed up and legal in the country. This is important because its appeal hinges on it. Read more »

New Photos of 2014 Toyota Corolla Sedan Leaked on the Web? [Updated]

Update: As pointed out by our readers, these two pictures of the 2014 Corolla aren't the real deal; they're renderings from Humster3d (see the second video after the jump)

While Toyota isn't hiding the fact that a new generation of the Corolla sedan is coming out this year having previewed the car through the Furia Concept at the Detroit Motor Show in January and even teased the production version via this picture last week, the company says it won't actually reveal the compact model until June 6.

As always, the interwebs have a different opinion, and besides these photos that were leaked online in February, we now have a new pair of images, purportedly of the production 2014 Corolla sedan, courtesy of Encontracarros.

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Well Played Sir: Driver Bails Out Just Before Truck Smashes his Tricycle

It is in the human nature for people to freeze in the presence of danger, but it's not always like that, or at least, it doesn't apply to all individuals. The driver of the tricycle truck in this video from Wenshan, China, is one of those exceptions to the rule.

The man was apparently in a hurry and had pulled up in the middle of the crossway (illegally) positioning his tricycle in front of the oncoming lane when a mid-size truck was approaching at speed without slowing down.

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Chinese Car Journalist Totals Lamborghini Gallardo During Test Drive

There’s now officially one less Lamborghini Gallardo in the world. The unfortunate event took place on a wet and slippery stretch of highway, just outside the city of Hangzhou in China. The car, said to be one of the latest facelifted Gallardos, was part of a press event with various local journalists driving the Lamborghini.

However, one of the drivers, aged around thirty, somehow managed to lose control of the all-wheel drive supercar, and completely destroyed its front and rear. Furthermore, Italian coupe, which is priced at around $536,000 in the PRC, cannot be feasibly repaired and will be stripped and scrapped, according to the source article on Car News China.

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This Is How You Kill a Maserati Quattroporte with Sledgehammers...

The following video will definitely trigger a deja-vu sequence among many of our readers; an expensive Italian luxury car destroyed with sledgehammers in China. Yep, we’ve seen that before.

The only thing different between the 2011 video and the new one added after the break is the car, as the Lamborghini Gallardo is now replaced by a Maserati Quattroporte. However, the reason for which the owner hired some...muscleto destroy the car is the same: poor servicing.

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Year of the Saab: China's BAIC Motors Launches 9-5-Based Senova D Sedan

The car you see pictured here is the Senova D sedan from China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. or simply BAIC, and under its body shell, elements of which will likely remind you of several other cars, is the platform and engine technology from the previous generation Saab 9-5, the rights for which the company acquired from General Motors in 2009.

It is the production version of last year's C70G and it was formally introduced to the world at last month's Shanghai Auto Show. The reason why we're talking about it now is that BAIC announced on Monday that the Senova D went on sale in China and Hong Kong (which is a special administrative region of China).

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Chinese Automakers to Use Turbos and Efficient Transmissions to Compensate for Slow EV Sales

For all the advantages they offer in every-day driving, modern EVs are faced with the same problems around the world, regardless of which market they are sold in: the high acquisition cost, coupled with the limited range and underdeveloped infrastructure, limit the appeal of what is otherwise becoming quite a viable technology.

China too is faced with the same issues, despite the fact that they can improve the charging network on a much larger scale, and can do so with more ease than some other countries, where change is brought about more slowly.

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VW Recalls 91,000 Vehicles in Japan Citing DSG Problems…Again

The reliability record of the VW Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) is taking a hit with a great deal of reports coming in from around the world for not behaving like they should, and dealers refusing to come up with a viable fix.

Apparently, these self-shifters just don’t cope with "hot and wet climate, extreme stop-and-go traffic as well as pollution typical of some Asian cities", says a report from Reuters, citing a company spokesman.

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This Cat is Really Stretching Out: Jaguar XJ with Extra LWB Coming to China?

The Jaguar XJ is a long car, with plenty of room in the back for even the most long-legged of supermodel girls. If, however, you want more room than you actually need, there’s the extended wheel base version, which is very popular in China, and now, if we are to believe several leaked patent renderings, an even longer variant could be on its way.

Be warned, though, as this could just as easily be hoax, or even 3D model destined for a driving game. Still, if it really is a patent rendering, then it announces the arrival of a “super-stretched” XJ destined exclusively for the legroom-crazy Chinese market.

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GM Receives Approval to Build Cadillac Factory in China

The Chinese obsession continues, as all automakers struggle to get their foot in the door and start selling cars to the full potential of what they think the flourishing market is capable of handling. This week, GM received approval to build a factory in China, in order to manufacture Cadillac-branded luxury automobiles for the local market - they currently only build the XTS locally. Read more »

China’s BAIC Hires Aussie Designer Responsible for Mercedes CL, CLS and Original ML

BAIC Motor of China has just announced that it has snapped up renowned Australian automotive designer Peter Arcadipane. He was chosen to draw up an entire range of luxury vehicles that are set to challenge the establishment, “with sophisticated styling and great proportions.”

The first of these new luxury models will be a rear-wheel driven sedan of “medium-large” dimensions, which will be predictably followed by crossovers and SUVs that are “big news in China.”

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