Chinese carmaker dedicates its F50 to the ladies
Chinese carmaker Shanghai Maple, isn't the first car company to try marketing directly to women, but it claims to be the first in China with its Maple F50.
From Maple's website, the F50 is "designed in a refining and humanization style," and "possesses the flamboyant and shining shape with soften cuneiform front." Sounds, uh, lovely. But then, the Autoblog team is all guys at the moment, so maybe a car that promises "a delicate life with high quality and happiness" wasn't meant to appeal to us.
Other than a "mellow great griller with the glittering and translucent headlamps," the female-specific options aren't too dissimilar from what most cars here in the States already have. There is a coin box, sun visor mirrors, and an optional built-in child seat. However, the Maple can be equipped with a shoebox, clothes rack and, and a tissue box in the glovebox, which we actually think is pretty cool. One F50 extra you won't find optional on a U.S. car is the driver's airbag.
Colors available are Tiramisu Yellow, Jade White, Liquid-gold Green, African-mum Yellow and Ice-mountain Blue.
And while there is no way this F50 could ever be confused with the one from Italy, just what is Shanghai Maple trying to imply with that Ferrari hat in the F50's trunk?
Enjoy a gallery of photos of the Shanghai Maple F50 here.
[Source: Shanghai Maple via China Car Time]
Gallery: Shanghai Maple F50
F50 is the first car special for female in China. It is designed in a refining and humanization style.
F50 possesses the flamboyant and shining shape with soften cuneiform front. The mellow great griller with the glittering and translucent headlamps makes the vehicle charming and attractive. It is just for the ladies who want to live a delicate life with high quality and happiness.
There are 7 colors of F50 for the users to choose: yellow, red, pink, green, orange, blue and white. Each color has its respective style and the ladies could have more choice as they like. F50 is equipped with a lot of special devices to provide the users much more convenience, such as the tissue box, coin box, dressing mirror, shoebox, clothes rack and quick equipped child seat for option.
According to the feature of the female, F50 is equipped with over speed alarm, adjustable safety belts, airbag for option and ABS+EBS. The user could also have the compass for option to guarantee the driving direction. All of the devices will ensure the safety of the driver and passenger in all-round way.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
ATRAIN 2:55PM (9/17/2007)
At least it isn't a knock-off.... or is it?
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Mr. Oak 3:04PM (9/17/2007)
Nose job compliments of Dodge Stratus, headlights from older gen Escort and rear end from mid 90s Civic.
jgp 11:35AM (9/18/2007)
The rear 3/4 view looks like a Kia Pride crossed with a third-gen Rover 200.
Couldn't they pick a pair of _good_ cars to rip off?
Evotec 2:48PM (9/17/2007)
F50 is beautiful,that is going to be my next car.
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ChineseDeathTrap 8:40PM (9/17/2007)
According to reports from Chinese news agency, Xinhua, the Chinese-built death traps are the crappiest crap ever created. Good luck. ;p
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-11/20/content_5351448.htm
BEIJING, Nov. 20 -- Price wars have taken a toll on the quality of domestically-made cars with defects reported in 77 percent during the first six months of use, according to the latest market survey.
The 2006 China Automobile Customer Satisfaction Index (CACSI) said major defects involve tyres, air conditioning and braking systems, locks and steering wheels.
For every 100 new cars, there were an average of 338 defects, much higher than last year's 246.
Dinger 2:50PM (9/17/2007)
I love the Ferrari baseball cap in the photo of the hatch storage area. Maybe Chrysler should put a Bugatti branded beach towel in the back of a Patriot for its next set of official press photos.
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ATRAIN 5:02PM (9/17/2007)
Haha, their next car... the Testarossa
Sam Salemi 3:10PM (9/17/2007)
I wonder if they executed the guy who designed it.
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Joe K. 3:07PM (9/17/2007)
Looking at the pictures in pieces I can see where they stole elements from. The taillights are obviously from a civic. the body looks like an old Saab 900 hatch in shape. I mean I can appreciate copying, but why copy cars 5-20 years old?
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Icon149 4:20PM (9/17/2007)
I think they are just using parts... where do you think 5-20 year old cars go after you take them to the scrap yard... that's right CHINA!
500 3:04PM (9/17/2007)
Ok, I'd say this car has won the award for the worst Photoshops in Autoblog history! Even Vince Burlapp's renderings on TheHollywoodExtra are much better! And it is a mishmash of different parts -- Audi headlights, 90's Nissan Sentra taillights, the roofline of an older French car... Does this car even exist yet?
I'm sure if they even build it, it will be about as successful as Mercury's effort to market exclusively to women (dramatic free-fall in sales.)
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SPG 6:29PM (9/17/2007)
This car's real.
I visited the website months ago for fun.
John 3:10PM (9/17/2007)
I think this is actually built off the old Citroen ZX. By the way, when was the last time you saw yellow tiramisu?
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Dinger 3:18PM (9/17/2007)
That would have been a few hours before having my stomach pumped.
And isn't green what happens to gold when it's cheap and fake?
jb 3:22PM (9/17/2007)
good eye about the ZX. It does look like they have a lot in common.
And yeah, Tiramisu yellow.....
500 5:47PM (9/17/2007)
Thanks John. When I said the roofline looked like an older French car, I was thinking Citroen, but couldn't place the model.
Tim 3:20PM (9/17/2007)
This thing is Cute! The interior brings to mind Little Tikes or Playskool as opposed to the cold rubbermaid interoirs on chrysler's here. The flower trim resembles that of barbie's dream house wallpaper.
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Tio 4:04PM (9/17/2007)
Citroen ZX mates with a Lada. Still, it has some unique touches. The glove box area is interesting. Also the expandable map pocket on the doors. How that holds up is a question though.Interior door panel looks old school Daewoo-ish.
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Sam 4:03PM (9/17/2007)
I've always wanted a Victoria-9'3-30C-Civic mutant. Nihao.
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joe23521 4:03PM (9/17/2007)
You would think a car company could afford a decent English translator for their website...or at least a human one.
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