Adventures in copyright infringement: Lifan 3-series
Clubman: potentially described as cute. Lifan 3 Series: Not cute. Not even ugly to the point of being endearing. Enough of the MINI's cues make it through in the Lifan that you can just picture them laying a huge sheet of onion skin over the Clubman and coming up with this. It's close in a lot of ways, but misshapen in others. A weird front overbite is the result of small wheels and a longer overhang than the MINI, and the C/D pillars appear thick – just a big blind spot where the Clubman has visibility. Underhood might be an actual legitimate link to the MINI. Lifan has invested in the Tritec four cylinder that powered the R50 first generation of revived MINIs. Ingress and egress in the Lifan is aided by four conventionally hinged doors, versus the Mini's clamshell treatment, but it ends up being reminiscent of a LeCar, but not as cool. Lifan could always outsource design to the rest of the world if this is the best they can do. We're sure they've got the engineering bit down, but the world doesn't need a MINI that reminds us of those cheap, anonymous knock off matchbox cars with no bottom.
[Source: Carscoop, Photos: China Car Times]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
vvk 11:29AM (1/23/2008)
Love it! In fact, I much prefer this to the original (Clubman). Mini should copy this layout.
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Big Rocket 1:03PM (1/23/2008)
What you wrote was technically, historically, and factually correct. But here is the bigger picture: The British Sopwith Triplane was the first fighter (fighting scout) that used a triplane planform in WW1, and it was far superior in a dogfight versus any aircraft in the German air force at the time. As a result, the Germans decided to copy the British idea of using a triplane for a fighting scout, and solicited designs for a fighting scout with a triplane planform. This gave rise to the Fokker Dr.I.
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Big Rocket 1:05PM (1/23/2008)
... in response to cashrc @ Jan 23rd 2008 9:58AM
3seriesisking 5:37PM (1/22/2008)
You have to be kidding me. When will the madness end? What will it take to get Chinese automakers to quit this s***.
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Brett- BMW Advo 6:22PM (1/22/2008)
Agreed! If they don't copy, they send us crap with lead in it. At least that was original!
Mke 7:39PM (1/22/2008)
LOL @ the lead commend..
theshadow 5:44PM (1/22/2008)
Aw man!
Surely, out of like 2 billion people or whatever, there should be at least a FEW people over there with a sense of proportion or something right? Statistical certainty?
FIND THEM PLEASE!!!!
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Seoultrain 5:51PM (1/22/2008)
I think autoblog needs to start a KIRF (Keepin' it Real Fake) series. You guys are partnered with engadget, right?
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accord745 5:52PM (1/22/2008)
i wonder if they also copied the dinner-plate-sized speedometer..
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dave 5:57PM (1/22/2008)
I think they were copying the Daihatsu Gino - when you copy a copy, it gets even fuzzier:
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/62561/gino_what_its_a_mini_lookalike.html
sebastian mejia 5:59PM (1/22/2008)
What kind of chinese are you? I mean, that thing has got to stop! Koreans and chinese make me wanna puck!
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Big Rocket 7:02PM (1/22/2008)
sebastian mejia @ Jan 22nd 2008 5:59PM wrote: "Koreans and chinese make me wanna puck!"
First of all, what do Koreans have to do with the Chinese Lifan 3 Series? If you are going to be racist about it, at least try to hit the right target.
Second, copying other people is not an exclusive Chinese tradition. Ever heard of the Fokker Dr.I? The Germans, self-proclaimed Aryan master race during WW2, copied the Fokker Dr.I from the British Sopwith Triplane during WW1. Hey, if copyright infringement is good enough for your Aryan overlords, it's good enough for everyone else, right?
Think a little next time before you start vomiting xenophobia all over the place.
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fokker_Dr.I
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Triplane
Mke 7:44PM (1/22/2008)
@BIGROCKET.
Good job calling us "Aryans." You don't seem like a bigot at all.
Good job trying to fight the fact that China is notorious for ripping off other country's work. The fact is that, from technology to automobiles, China has done nothing but steal, cheat, and use.
So you're Chinese? You're Korean? Good for you, I am an Asian, too. That doesn't change the fact that China, an Asian country or not, has a huge lack of business ethics. (Not to mention other ethics as well.)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2007-07-23-china-spy-2_N.htm
Mke 7:50PM (1/22/2008)
Oh, and by the way, what does something Germany did during WWII have to do with this? LOL You sound like those religious extremists that bring up extremely old facts that are completely irrelevant today. Especially considering that as each day progresses, we're constantly making advancements in ethics.
Spooner 8:00PM (1/22/2008)
I have yet to see Korean automakers copy panel for panel like this car and other EXACT copies that Chinese automakers churn out.
Big Rocket 8:39PM (1/22/2008)
To Mke:
Of course the Chinese are copying others and ripping off their work, as seen in the Lifan 3-series, a cheap copy of the Mini. Now that we agree on the lack of ethics of Chinese businesses, let's not pretend that this lack of ethics is unique to the Chinese. You objected to the use of WW1 history in the current discussion. Okay, how about something more current, then. Not that I am an expert in industrial/economic espionage, but here is what a simple Google search found out:
1998: "France, Germany, Israel, China, Russia, and South Korea were named as major offenders in the article [about economic espionage]..."
And here is a recent one straight from Autoblog here:
2007: "The ongoing 'Stepneygate' espionage scandal ... McLaren F1 has been stripped of all its constructors' championship points for the 2007 season and fined $100,000,000 USD..."
Constantly making advancement in ethics as each day progresses? Get real, and read the news. Not that I would condone industrial/economic espionage/copycat in any way. But as I pointed out with well-documented cases, the Chinese are not the only ones doing it, and I would hate to see every mention of Chinese economic espionage turn into a forum for thinly-disguised xenophobic racism. The best way to sum it up is: Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Links:
http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/7789/edition_id/148/format/html/displaystory.html
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/13/mclaren-spygate-verdict-reached-team-stripped-of-07-champio/
Big Rocket 9:22PM (1/22/2008)
Here's more to constantly making advancement in ethics as each day progresses:
1996: "Moscow's 'Operation Farewell' spent $1.4 billion a year in salaries and bribes to obtain secret details of thousands of NATO weapon systems; Russia's space shuttle was created by following documents taken from NASA. China has flooded the U.S. with spies, enabling that country to modernize its military with weapon systems that could bring it up to superpower status. Japan's efficient spy network has tapped U.S. universities, companies and research institutions, channeling a steady flow of proprietary documents, economic intelligence and biotechnology secrets to Tokyo. Agents from France, Germany, Israel, Taiwan and South Korea are also harvesting information and blueprints in the U.S. ..."
2001: "Two Japanese molecular biologists have been charged with espionage in the United States... The biologists are accused of stealing materials... and passing them on to... [RIKEN] in Japan, which is mainly funded by the Japanese government."
2002: "... at least twelve of our top trading partners conduct systematic spying on major U.S. firms. The top twelve include the seven largest European Community economies, plus Israel, Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea. Most are strictly company-directed attacks, but France and China most notably rely on government aid and direction."
Links:
http://www.amazon.com/War-Other-Means-Economic-Espionage/dp/0393040143
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v411/n6835/full/411225a0.html
http://www.worldtrademag.com/CDA/Archives/8f455b6347af7010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____
DHG 9:39PM (1/22/2008)
@BigRocket's "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones"
So, because something similar happened somewhere else we shouldn't say anything now?
Whatever.
Big Rocket 10:06PM (1/22/2008)
DHG @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:39PM wrote: "So, because something similar happened somewhere else we shouldn't say anything now?"
How about: We don't pretend the Chinese are the only ones doing it, because the rest of the civilized world couldn't possibly stoop so low? And how about: We don't use these news reports as an excuse for making blatantly racist remarks, such as "the Koreans and the Chinese make me puke"? As numerous news reports have shown, China is just one of many countries in Europe and Asia that regularly steal intellectual property from foreign companies. China rightly deserves to be criticized for its illegal crimes, as do Russia, Germany, France, Japan, Korea, Israel, and many other countries all over the world. But for anyone to claim these crimes are due to the Chinese culture, tradition, or ethics, is a blatantly racist and xenophobic lie that runs counter to well-documented facts.
Mke 11:28PM (1/22/2008)
@Big Rocket
You have made some very good points. However, I feel like you do not understand the extent of this behavior on China's end. Although, you probably feel that I don't understand the extend on the end of the rest of the world.
So... Touche!