China


REPORT: BAIC/Koenigsegg may produce Saab 9-5 in China

Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. (BAIC), announced as a minority partner in Koenigsegg's deal to purchase Saab from General Motors two months ago, plans to produce the Saab 9-5 on Chinese soil next year. The involvement of BAIC in the Saab transaction helps Koenigsegg close the deal and gives the Chinese company leverage to re-badge the previous-generation Saab 9-5 as its own or to simply expand the brand's existing reach within the country. In September, Saab CEO Jan-Ake Jonsson told reporters he wanted to double the number of ... Read more →

Unique porcelain-finish Ferrari 599 China raises $1.77M at auction

A Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is an exceptional piece of automotive art. Even more exceptional is the latest model equipped with the Handling GT Evoluzione package. More exceptional still is the ...

SPOILER ALERT: Champion's Champions Crowned at 2009 Race of Champions

Every year, around the world, drivers compete wheel to wheel in all manner of racing series, from rally to F1, touring cars to Le Mans and everything in between. It gives racing fans plenty of ...

REPORT: Nissan working on Tata Nano-like cheap car strategy

India's Tata Nano has seemingly shown the world's remaining automakers that it's possible to build a small, inexpensive car for emerging markets that's still profitable. You can reportedly count ...

2009 Race of Champions heads to Beijing

Most of this year's major motorsport series are winding to a close. Champions are being crowned. Teams are preparing for next year. You know what that means: it's time for the Race of Champions. ...

Ford officially confirms China's Geely as preferred bidder for Volvo 10 days ago on Autoblog

It's been rumored for months Chinese automaker Geely had the best shot at picking up the Volvo brand from Ford, and today, Dearborn has finally confirmed it. Geely was named as the preferred bidder this morning and the Blue Oval is proceeding with negotiations. However, this is not going to be an ...

Shreveport, LA mayor lobbies D.C. to close the HUMMER deal, already 14 days ago on Autoblog

Cedric Glover, the mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana, went to Washington, D.C. to plead his case for the sale of Hummer to Tengzhong. The only thing is, we're not sure why he went. To be more precise, we do know that he wants to protect jobs at GM's Shreveport plant that builds Hummers. The plant ...

Jianghuai flagship sedan looks like an Infiniti G35 with elephantitis of the grill 15 days ago on Autoblog

Who says Twitter is good for nothing? Making fun of derivative Chinese car designs (cough Geely cough) is like shooting fish in a barrel. Only the barrel has no water in it, is only six-inches deep and you're using a shotgun. Still, we're thinking this Jianghuai sedan might be taking a cake or ...

China building drive-in car museum? 21 days ago on Autoblog

As much as we like our drive-in movies and drive-through restaurants, could there be anything more appropriate than a drive-in car museum? We think not. Unfortunately, such an obvious and awesome thing isn't on its way to America. Instead, China, a relatively new player on the world ...

REPORT: Former Ford employee arrested for stealing trade secrets 22 days ago on Autoblog

Former Ford engineer Xiang Dong Yu, also known as Mike Yu, was arrested Wednesday at the Chicago O'Hare airport and indicted on suspicion of stealing trade secrets from his former employer. Yu, who worked at Ford Motor Company from 1997 to 2007, is being charged with downloading over 4,000 sensitive ...

Officially Official: Regal named next mid-size sedan for Buick 24 days ago on Autoblog

Drum-roll please. After making a point of pausing to listen to its dealers for input and suggestions, Buick has just announced the name of its next mid-size sedan. Plucking a nameplate from its not-too-distant past, the brand has introduced its newest model for America, the 2010 Buick Regal. ...

Recork the Champagne? China says Hummer paperwork not submitted yet 26 days ago on Autoblog

Last week, it was reported that General Motors had signed a definitive agreement to sell Hummer to Chinese machinery manufacturer Tengzhong. The Chinese company and its partner in the deal, Lumena Resources Corp., would pay $150 million and receive Hummer and its intellectual property, ownership ...

Fine China: One-off porcelain-finish Ferrari 599 special to be auctioned for charity [w/VIDEO] 1 month ago on Autoblog

In a communist country, all Ferraris are equal, but some are more equal than others. Take the special-edition 599 that the Italian automaker debuted exclusively for the Chinese market. Only twelve of them will be made. And now, an even more exclusive version – as exclusive as they get, ...

Red Flag: Ferrari crafts a dozen 599 HGTE specials for China 1 month ago on Autoblog

It wasn't so long ago that the idea of seeing an exotic Italian sportscar in mainland China was as much an anathema as a Chinese car in America. But the times, as one Mr. Dylan sang, they are a-changin.' Today, China is one of Ferrari's most important markets, where the red Prancing Horse shares ...

To Chuanfu! Thanks for Everything, Warren Buffett 1 month ago on Autoblog

Wang Chuanfu (above), the founder of Chinese battery manufacturer and automaker BYD is reportedly the richest man in all of China. Already a wealthy man, Bloomberg reports that Chuanfu has jumped a startling 102 places to land himself atop Hurun Rich List, an annual wealth index chronicling the ...

REPORT: Outgoing Saab 9-5 to live on... as Chinese BAIC 1 month ago on Autoblog

If Billy Joel is right that only the good die young, the outgoing Saab 9-5 has been very, very bad. In automotive terms, the 9-5 is positively ancient, having first seen the light of day in 1997 and getting very little in the way of meaningful changes since that time. If, though, you happen ...

REPORT: Mitsuoka to offer unique rental cars in Japan, also plans to sell in China 1 month ago on Autoblog

Mitsuoka, the Japanese car company whose mission seems to be hoarding all the ugly in the entire world and using it to design automobiles, will expand into Japan's rental car market and offer its luxury range in China. Japanese drivers will be able to rent the Orochi for ¥25,000 ($279 US) ...

Obama administration slaps hefty import tariffs on Chinese-made tires 1 month ago on Autoblog

The aggrieved parties are: the United Steelworkers and the U.S. government on one side, Chinese tire companies and the Chinese government on the other. The issues are, as always, jobs and money. The Steelworkers brought a case against Chinese tire companies for dumping tires on the U.S. market ...

OnStar not for sale, expanding into China 1 month ago on Autoblog

Profitable, and with 5.5 million subscribers under its belt, GM's OnStar vehicle telematics system is not for sale, according to a top General Motors executive. "At this point, OnStar is firmly a part of the new GM and is an integral part of GM's future strategy," reports Chet Huber, the outgoing ...

REPORT: China's Beijing Automotive takes minority stake in Saab 1 month ago on Autoblog

It had been reported that SAIC had quietly taken a stake in Saab in conjunction with the Koenigsegg Group. However, it's been confirmed that Beijing Automotive -- which also recently made a play for Opel -- has grabbed a share of the Trollhätten pie. BAIC provided the $400 million ...

REPORT: Private Chinese investors sought to fund $6 billion auto plant in Mississippi 2 months ago on Autoblog

The headline is attention-grabbing. A former Chinese auto executive is proposing a $6 billion plant in economically-distressed north Mississippi that will employ 25,000 people and produce one million cars a year. Automotive News' story is both intriguing and complicated – and not just ...

REPORT: U.S. psyched as China decides to cut auto part tariffs 2 months ago on Autoblog

China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, at which point it was given five years to adjust to the rules of open trade before any complaints were lodged against it. On schedule, in 2006, the complaints began, lodged by the U.S., Europe, and Canada. In one example of open trade ...

Potential deal points leaked concerning Tengzhong's purchase of Hummer 2 months ago on Autoblog

As the Opel transaction takes on Biblical intrigue, the Hummer exchange goes on in another dark corner, laboriously, like the gestation of an elephant. The latest report from a Chinese news website states that General Motors and Tengzhong "might sign an agreement" this week, but that strikes us ...

After divorcing Daimler, going steady with Fiat and cutting off Nissan, Chrysler looking for Chinese partner? 2 months ago on Autoblog

Over the past couple of years, Chrysler has been in discussion with seemingly every carmaker in the world about some sort of tie-up to achieve some particular end. Before it was battling for its very survival, it was in serious talks with Chinese automaker Chery about building a car or two, ...

China pondering hoarding precious metals used in hybrids and EVs by banning exportation? 2 months ago on Autoblog

Ever hear of neodymium? How about dysprosium or yttrium? Thulium or lutetium? These are just some of the metals that China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is considering either banning the exportation of, or at least severely limiting the amount that it will let leave the ...

REPORT: Toyota recalling nearly 700,000 vehicles over melting door panels - in China 2 months ago on Autoblog

If you just got into your China-made Toyota Camry only to notice that your door panel has inexplicably melted, it's probably not your fault and the problem is going to be fixed for free. That's good news for you, we suppose, but not so much for Toyota. New reports say the Japanese automaker is ...

REPORT: Tengzhong deal for Hummer expected to close in Q3 2 months ago on Autoblog

Slowly clearing one obstacle after another, Tengzhong is closer to sealing the deal to buy Hummer from General Motors. Chinese reports have come almost completely around, from the nearly certain "No" of a few months ago to "the Chinese government has little to lose giving the green light." Chinese ...

REPORT: BYD pushes American EV launch ahead to 2010 2 months ago on Autoblog

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Warren Buffet-backed Chinese automaker BYD has moved up its schedule and plans to sell a fully electric car here in the United States next year. Interestingly, the automaker's original plans were to sell its first products here in the U.S. in ...

Warren Buffett reportedly rakes in $1B profits on BYD in less than one year 3 months ago on Autoblog

2009 BYD F3DM - Click above for high-res image gallery You don't get to hold the title of The Richest Person in the World – a title oft-owned by either Bill Gates or Warren Buffett at any given time – without knowing how to make sound financial decisions. While not all of Warren ...

Spy Shots: Chinese-market Buick GL8 successor spotted testing 3 months ago on Autoblog

General Motors is apparently well into the development of the next-gen Buick GL8 MPV for the Chinese market, as this series of spy photos clearly shows. Previewed by the Business MPV shown off at the Shanghai Motor Show a few months back, this revised vehicle will be targeted at upwardly mobile ...

Americans warming to idea of Chinese, Indian autos? 3 months ago on Autoblog

We've known for a while now that Mexicans are getting some Chinese cars with their ten gallon jars of pickles, but what about Americans? Would we go for vehicles from another country from across the Pacific? There's a wonderful moment at the end of Tucker: A Man and his Dreams where Jeff ...

VIDEO: The Entrepreneur documentary about Malcolm Bricklin now playing on Autoblog 3 months ago on Autoblog

Forget Blockbuster. Forget Netflix. Let Autoblog take care of movie night this week. We're presenting The Entrepreneur (Check out a review on Cinematical.com) on our silver screen through 7/30 courtesy of SnagFilms.com. This recently released documentary is all about Malcolm Bricklin, and it was ...

Beijing mall builds its own Transformer out of VW Jetta 3 months ago on Autoblog

We know the Chinese love their Transformers – or perhaps it's just Bumblebee. To promote its new movie theater, a mall in China created its own Transformer out of a Volkswagen Jetta. The best part about the sculpture is that it hasn't been painted to look like Bumblebee, and it's been ...

REPORT: GM to give China dedicated vehicle, launch up to 30 models there in five years 3 months ago on Autoblog

According to Automotive News China, at least one new inexpensive model from Buick or Chevrolet will be dedicated to the Chinese and other emerging markets. The undisclosed model will arrive before 2011. In addition, two more Buick-badged vehicles, and four more wearing Chevrolet logos, will roll ...

GM expects sales in China to grow 20% in 2009 4 months ago on Autoblog

General Motors boasted in April that it would double sales in China by 2013 with the introduction of 30 new or upgraded models over the next five years. Last month, GM forecasted that its vehicle sales in China would grow 10% this year alone and now it seems those numbers may have been a bit ...

REPORT: China passes U.S. in auto sales 4 months ago on Autoblog

Most of the world has been knee deep in a wicked recession for quite a while, and auto sales have been hit especially hard. Here in the U.S., the numbers have been abysmal, as the first half of the year saw only 4.8 million sales through June. China, on the other hand, is running away with the ...








Autoblog Podcast #151: With Car and Driver's Eddie Alterman

Eddie Alterman wades in with Sam, Chris, Dan, and Jonny to talk about SEMA and other recent events.

 
 

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