Posted on 05/07/2005 11:10:29 PM PDT by spetznaz
Proving nothing is sacred, Hongki—longtime official supplier of cars for Communist Party officials in China—showed a design concept at the Shanghai motor show that most observers doubted they would ever see: a Chinese interpretation of the magisterial Rolls-Royce Phantom II.
At 20.75 feet long, six and a half feet wide, and sitting on a 12.8-foot-long wheelbase, the Red Flag HQD is even more imposing than the Roller thanks to its slabbier styling, squared-off front wings and immense (dare we say “International”?) grille.
The unveiling took Rolls’ Goodwood team by surprise: “We knew nothing about it,” said a Rolls-Royce official.
Chris Bangle, design chief for Rolls-Royce parent company BMW, seemed amused as he soaked-up the HQD’s lines: “I’d just like to find out some more.”
Rival designer Olivier Boulay, who runs Mercedes’ Tokyo design office, was more charitable: “I think this is great. Honest to the Chinese and the Red Flag’s heritage with that big, wide grille.”
Hongki is better known as Red Flag because the company traditionally supplied the official cars for China’s ruling Communist Party. HQD is intended to show how a Chinese luxury sedan could fit into today’s more capitalistic China.
Hongki says power for the Red Flag Roller will come from a 6.0-liter V12 or maybe a W12. As shown, the HQD was strictly a non-running design study, but we’re told the car is slated to go into production before 2008.
All the same I would definitely opt for the Real McCoy and get a true Phantom instead of the Chinese knock-off. But it is still interesting how far up they have set their sights (and while BMW, which owns Rolls,should not be concerned the companies that definitely should include Ford and GM. In the next 5-10 yrs China will be a significant threat for Detroit).
Anyways, here is what a real Phantom looks like (I've tried to include similar points of view as the knock-off):
The first thing that came to my mind was the list of reasons that gas is so expensive. China's ever increasing demand is near the top of the list.
WOW, almost alot of similarity, Unfortunately the chinese version almost looks better, i really hate to say it.
It would be interesting to know how the knockoff would feel like to drive vs the real one. Wake up world, the chinese sounds like the next japanese market unfortunately, i sure hope the chinese never become more powerful than they already are.
LOL. Almost made me choke ...on pizza nonetheless!!!! Lol and g'night.
I didn't know that.
What the germans couldn't capture, it appears that they have bought. (BMW, Chrysler...)
As an aside, a friend of mine said she was going to go fix a BMW Friday (she owns a car customization co.)
I asked, "What are you going to do, remove the PR$CK?"
You might then be interested to know that Volkswaggen owns Bentley.
Can anyone say BUTT UGLY?
Does Messerschmidt own Boeing?
LOL.
Anyone want to guess what the reliability is? My guess is that it will be somehting worse than the early Hyundais.
It comes with 6 men in the trunk to push it when the engine fails.
You can hear it coming....Ping, Ping, Ping, Ping, Ping, Ping...
Was he the third dancer to the right during the song in " A day at the Race's"?
"Can anyone say BUTT UGLY?"
BUTT UGLY :-) My first reaction was that it reminded me of The Homer... but for this car, the government supplies the security system, ignition system and a black box; plus, there's an optional spittoon that drains onto the street, kinda like an airplane toilet.
Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark.
Looks like the gang from "Pimp My Ride" got hold of a Rolls. Does it have a sound system that takes up the entire trunk? Spinners?
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