Click above for photo gallery of the Lifan 320
The production version of Lifan's egregious MINI clone is set to debut this weekend at the Beijing Motor Show. The Lifan 320 as it's called has an 87-horsepower 1.3L underhood that drives the front wheels alone. We're sure that Lifan will point to the car's standard 5-door hatchback layout as evidence that its not a true MINI copy, but let's all be serious here. Droopy headlights, fat D-pillars and traditional placement of the extra doors don't temper the blatant rip-offedness of this Grade D doppelganger. Even the wheels are copies. On a more amusing note, who knew MINI's humorous old "counterfeit" ad campaign would wind up being so prescient? BMW lawyers are likely standing by, as is the Counter Counterfeit Commission.
[Source: Autoblog Chinese]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
I_Hate_China @ Apr 18th 2008 12:09PM
An interesting case. This car is not a mechanical clone like Cherys, BYDs, and Great Walls, but a styling copy.
Well, at least this one is legal, regardless of how public feels about the Mini-inspired styling.
vince @ Apr 18th 2008 12:11PM
F U china
ray @ Apr 18th 2008 1:04PM
go F yourself when the next time u buy something that's made in China.
Ligor @ Apr 18th 2008 1:21PM
well, I usually agree, but the Mini has set a a new category in small cars, like CUV's did with the Murano andsuch, then the Edge followed
I look at this one liek that, this follows the Mini like the Edge did the Murano
I guess they could have gone after hte Fiat 500 as well,and all these small cars once competition hits, will share many characters
John Doe @ Apr 18th 2008 3:00PM
@Vince LOL!!! oh yeah
cdub @ Apr 18th 2008 3:37PM
If I see labeled on a product, that it was made in china- I Put It Back! Ecspecialy if its intended for a child.
tankd0g @ Apr 18th 2008 12:18PM
"320 MINI ripoff", is that the official name?
JD @ Apr 18th 2008 12:51PM
In fact, yes. You know how it's asian culture to use english words for looks, kind of like we sometimes use asian characters for looks? Well, their "style english" just so happens to be "Happy MINI Ripoff 320!!!!"
CarbonBlack @ Apr 18th 2008 2:00PM
here is a website demonstrating this principle:
http://www.engrish.com/
enjoy, my happy good friends
Jacob @ Apr 18th 2008 12:20PM
As usual, the Chinese government continues making sure that our markets are flooded with Chinese made crap while the goods made in the west are simply blatantly stolen (movies, software, electronics and car designs, etc) or counterfeited, or in the best case forced to be produced in China in some kind of joint ventures that force western companies to transfer their IP knowledge to Chinese for free.
Ricky @ Apr 18th 2008 12:45PM
Chinese government? You think this is a government conspiracy? LOL.
Lifan is a privately owned company... although Chinese Automakers are probably the least subtle about borrowing styling cues, you should understand that all automakers borrow design cues.
You also think that American companies are "forced" to produce in China (I'm guessing your thinking Buick)? Go back to school, American companies FLOCK to China for the cheap labor. Cheap labor = decrease cost = increase profit.
Jacob @ Apr 18th 2008 12:55PM
Ricky, I understand the cost benefits of flocking to China, but foreign companies can't build a factory there without setting up a joint venture with a Chinese car company. Regarding the Chinese government, of COURSE it is their fault. The western intellectual property is being stolen by Chinese companies left and right, and the government really does not do much about it.
The way I see it, this creates a very unfair trade situation. We pay for the stuff that we buy from them, but they take our goods (software, movies, etc) and IP property more or less for free. If we can't receive a compensation for the goods in which the western companies indeed have a comparative trade advantage, then what's the point in this trade?
Ricky @ Apr 18th 2008 2:31PM
If the situation was reversed and America had cheap labor and China is looking to outsource, would you want Chinese companies to build factories on our soil and use our labor for no potential growth benefits?
Funny how you left out America's benefit from China's unlimited cheap unskilled (and sometimes skilled) labor. When you look at it that way, you see we trade Chinese factory workers labor (near exploitation of avg .57 cents per hour, 50 hours weekly) for Hollywood videos, Microsoft software, and German car design.
I read a funny article some past Christmas, that nearly 80% of goods purchased for the holiday season was was manufactured in China. So maybe we just became overdependent?
tekdemon @ Apr 19th 2008 3:25AM
lol, a large part of Lifan is owned by AIG. And this car isn't even available in the US market.
Please quit taking whatever drugs you're taking.
John P. @ Apr 18th 2008 12:26PM
After yesterday's decent made in china design I was beginning to have hope, now all is back to normal looking at this crap.
yuck!
Spiel @ Apr 18th 2008 12:36PM
I guess this is a trend that's going to be around for a long, long time. It will be funny when they start copying Hyundai, which already copies off others.
Love the Porsche headlights BTW (sarcasm).
Den in IN @ Apr 18th 2008 12:46PM
That is about as much a Mini copy as every successful car is emulated by other manufacturers. What they won't emulate (or understand) is the refinment of the Mini and sophisticated engineering. Without the quality the Mini would be just another interesting design.
BigTeebo @ Apr 18th 2008 12:59PM
So the hood protrudes that much, and it still only offers 87 horsepower? They somehow managed to make the frontend look worse than the latest-gen MINI.
Ian @ Apr 18th 2008 1:03PM
...just one more car to add to the file at counterfeitmini.org
cdub @ Apr 18th 2008 3:39PM
I don't buy anything made in china