If it worked for Lexus, why not Geely!
Back in 1990, when Lexus first burst forth upon the world, people praised the execution and refinement of the new luxury cars from Toyota. Lexus took Toyota's reputation for quality to a whole new level and has remained near the top of the heap in quality surveys ever since. The one complaint most people had at the time related to the styling. The smaller ES250 wasn't distinct enough from the Camry upon which it was based and the big LS looked like a Mercedes S-Class knock-off.
Last year, little known carmaker Geely became the first Chinese company to show one of their cars at the Detroit Auto Show. Let's just say no one was particularly impressed. So Geely has apparently gone back to the Lexus drawing board and created a knock-off of the most highly thought of luxury brands of the day. In this case, the concept images of a new high-end Geely appear to be nothing more than photos of a Lexus IS350 with a really ugly nose photoshopped on. They didn't even bother to change the wheels.
[Source: China Car Times]
Update:More pics from autoblog china.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
BC 11:50AM (5/24/2007)
If they Chinese know one thing, it's plagarism.
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Rob 2:53PM (5/24/2007)
Personally I don't care if they are copying Lexus, BMW or whoever... If they can get the quality relatively close and sell it for $10k, then I'll be a customer.
iamhoff 12:16PM (5/24/2007)
L.O.Freaking L. As BC noted, they do know plagarism. And that's going to be what delays them from entering the US market at full speed. If all they can come up with is (as an example) a Lexus IS 250 with a Lincoln MKR (did I get that right?) nose, can you imagine how fast the copyright infringement lawsuits will flow forth? I also seem to recall from the last Shanghai show there was a mashup of a last-gen Merc C-class back end combined with one of those goofy-ass "Excalibur/Zimmer" noses on a mid-90s era Nissan Sentra. Or something equally odd. Should be interesting...
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waitingforvizzini 12:56PM (5/24/2007)
dont forget the Lexus/Pontiac SUV. Lexus back Pontiac front
bmoredlj 12:56PM (5/24/2007)
I examined the five "[stolen] design centre" sketches:
1. The first is a Lexus IS with a different grille.
2. The second is an Infiniti M45 clone.
3. The third is another IS with a different grille.
4. The fourth is a more crudely copied M45.
5. Perhaps most "original" of the sketches, Geely still lifts headlight and taillight designs VERY similar to the BMW 7-Series.
In America, imitation can be a form of flattery. The Kia Amanti does a semi-fair impression of a Jaguar S-Type with the oval grille and googly eyes (and lack of any Kia badge). But that's an impression, not the downright theft of almost the entire design.
I want to know what Geely designers get paid. I also want a job with them. Seriously. I have WAY more original ideas about which grilles to stick on which already-existing car.
Take this Gem: A Dodge Nitro....with an Acura Advanced Coupe face!!!
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Ken 12:57PM (5/24/2007)
I am absolutely stunned to learn that a Chinese product is nearly an exact clone of another product.
It is so unlike them to lack the imagination and creativity to develop their own design and technology.
I hope this isn't the start of a disturbing trend out of China.
I'm sure the next product we see will be completely original (and not hideous).
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tooler 1:08PM (5/24/2007)
Some understandings of Chinese auto plagarism
China is a huge developing country. In the last 20 yrs they naively believed they can learn the auto technology by trading off their market shares. (by means of making cars with western car companiese in joint-venture factories.) Now, under the new leadership of this country, and after lost 90% of its 8 million auto market, Chinese realized that they have gone a wrong way. Now they are mad and crazy, without enough technology, they are just doing whatever they can to make their own cars. When a man is desperated, he don’t play with rules. Globalization is a double-blade sword, sometimes hurts at both side.
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Avinash machado 1:08PM (5/24/2007)
They should stick to copying Ladas and Yugos.
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ramen 1:13PM (5/24/2007)
@ bmoredlj:
Actually, the 2nd image is a BMW 3 series sedan rip. And the 4th one is an Audi A6 rip (from the rear at least).
I hate Chinese companies and so called "designers". All they do is copy other people's designs. I'm surprised they're not getting sued up the a$$
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bmoredlj 1:20PM (5/24/2007)
Check this...
http://wikicars.org/images/en/thumb/4/4b/M45_2006.JPG/400px-M45_2006.JPG
...side to side with the 2nd image. You'll see what I mean.
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Ken 1:31PM (5/24/2007)
China can’t design, it’s not because they don’t have any education or tech skills, they do. They are making Cadis, Audis, VW, and Bimmers in China right now, hell they even produce Renault cars. It’s the taste level. China has been developing for barely past 15 years. Everything you see in China were probably build up in the last 10 years. Their level of taste isn’t quiet there here. It took South Korea almost 25 years to catch up or in some areas surpass some Japaneses designs. One problem with mainland Chinese designs is that they don’t know how to keep it simple and understated. They make everything so busy and crazy, that’s from their cultural background, even though not as bad as Russians or Persians. However if you look at the designs from Singapore or Taiwan, you will see many beautiful designs, that’s because they are developed, and they understand the beauty of simplicity and elegance. In conclusion, Italians are still the best from cloths to cars……then Danish…….oh yeah, those over priced Bang & Olufsen pieces……..=-)
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Mike 1:36PM (5/24/2007)
THE CHINESE COPIED A DESIGN AND ARE TRYING TO SELL IT AS THEIR OWN?!
No way, I don't believe it!
So instead of enforcing balanced trade and international law with China, we will continue to lend money from them so we can wear inexpensive clothing while they rob companies blind due to unenforcible patents. Thanks law makers!
At least it's Toyota on the receiving end of the ass-reaming this time and not Microsoft or Disney like usual.
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k 1:18AM (5/25/2007)
Yeah they know PLAGIARISM.
If you're going to COPY the word 3 times, at least learn to spell it, dufuses. Otherwise you make the Chinese look smart for being lazy and making loads of money off it.
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tooler 2:10PM (5/24/2007)
Yeah, it is true Chinese building BMWs, Cadis, Audis,
VWs, Toyotas, Hondas, Chevys, Mazdas and whatsoever has tech, but they only supply labours, lands, and electricity, that's all. They don't know how to design cars,
they don't know how to design tooling systems, they don't know how to control quality... There is no big differents between making T-shirt and making cars for them. China is a country very different, you gotta see it to believe, even you see it but still can not believe it.
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Gregg 5:55PM (5/24/2007)
Hey! Imitation is a sincere form of flattery. ;)
And contrary to the report, the nose the Chinese grafted onto the Lexus is far more dramatic and interesting than what Lexus did. I'd buy it.
GM already tried to sue when they totally copied their B car.
OMG! Someone thinks the ugly, clumsy looking and dumpy Kia Amanti looks like a Jaguar?? Wow, do people's eyesights differ.
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Ken 2:50PM (5/24/2007)
I agree Tooler, it will really take sometime for China to catch up. If they can copy the western designs as is, no changes, just as is would be a big step forward for them. You have to copy before you can design. Actually, some of the Chinese and Korean cars are designed by Italian firms right now. I don't know if the above cars were or not.
FYI Mike, China is the largest creditor to the US, US doesn't lend money to China, US borrow money from China. If China decides tomorrow to invest in Euro instead of US dollar, our economy will collapse.
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tooler 3:09PM (5/24/2007)
ken, I don't think this kind of designs are from any Italian design studio, becuase that will be a professionalism suicide.
The difficult situation is, if US, Japan or Europe government give a hit too hard on Chinese plagarism,
it just like an elephant rush into a fine china store, the sequences will be overwhelming. I hope Toyota will sue them in China, for Chinese auto designer's own sake.
Phil 8:12PM (5/24/2007)
"I'd buy it."
Really. Let us know when you get around to following through on that statement which I have no doubt you made with utmost sincerity and commitment.
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AMcA 9:20PM (5/24/2007)
Hey, they've got no shame about building an outright copy of somebody else's car.
Don't be surprised if they do just that.
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bmoredlj 9:54PM (5/24/2007)
I found it! A Dodge Nitro with an Acura Advanced Face!!!
http://www.renaissanceroad.com/ap/ntgly.jpg
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