China
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Luxury car sales in China show no signs of slowing, with news emerging this month that a special edition Rolls-Royce Phantom priced from $1.2 million sold out within two months of being announced. The special edition model is the Rolls-Royce Year of the Dragon Phantom, built to commemorate the Chinese New Year. Speaking with Bloomberg, Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes explained that Chinese customers aren’t satisfied with plain old luxury cars but prefer highly bespoke models. Items such as drink cabinets and custom embroidery are proving to be particularly popular. And while he...
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Ruf Super-Sizes The Porsche Panamera For China
Seeing the need for a long-wheelbase variant of the Porsche Panamera, tuner Ruf has built the Panamera XL for the Chinese market.
Kurt Ernst -
2012 BMW 3-Series Long-Wheelbase Destined For China
Since last summer’s report of a long-wheelbase 2012 BMW 3-Series undergoing tests in Germany, we’re anticipating the China-only model will debut in April at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show. From what we can see in the spy shots, the result is well-proportioned. Also, opposite the deck...
Thomas Bey -
Mercedes-Benz Exporting E-Class Models - From China
Mercedes-Benz and Chinese partner BAIC will begin exporting Chinese-built E-Class models; the question is, to where?
Kurt Ernst -
Cadillac Ups Focus On China, Which Is Poised To Pass Germany In Luxury Auto Sales
Despite the Chinese government recently announcing a new round of tariffs on U.S.-made vehicles with engine capacities greater than 2.5-liters, American automakers still see great opportunities in the world’s most populous market and in fact will be increasing their focus in coming years. One...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Chinese Bank Looking To Buy Saab Stake
Just when it seemed all hope of saving Saab from bankruptcy has failed, news of yet another potential Chinese savior has surfaced. This time it’s an unnamed Chinese bank that's interested in buying up a stake in Saab, with fellow Chinese firm Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile also expected...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Cadillac believes that export sales could surpass domestic sales by the end of the decade, but only if the brand continues to grow in the Chinese market.
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Audi A6? In China, It's Privilege, Status And A Hint Of Corruption
A local Chinese restaurant's name has always been puzzling: A8 China. It doesn't roll right off the tongue or follow the convention of having "garden," "kitchen" or "panda" worked in somewhere. It could be assurance of top billing on Yellow Pages.com and mobile apps like Urbanspoon, but our...
Thomas Bey -
Infiniti Establishing New Global Headquarters In Hong Kong
Infiniti, a Japanese luxury auto brand originally launched in 1989 to serve the North American market, has announced today that it is moving its global headquarters to Hong Kong, China. The move comes as Infiniti further attempts to separate itself from Nissan and position itself as a standalone...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Saab To Be Sold To China’s Pang Da And Youngman: Official
Swedish Automobile has confirmed today that it has made an 11th-hour deal with Chinese firms Pang Da and Youngman for the sale and purchase of 100 percent of the shares in struggling automaker Saab for 100 million euros (approximately $142 million). So far only a memorandum of understanding has...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mercedes-Benz Chooses Clooney Charm To Sell Chinese E-Class L
Ah, celebrity endorsement, where would we be without you? We certainly wouldn't have half as much amusement in our lives from watching singers and film stars do the most embarrassing adverts imaginable in exchange for a big suitcase full of money. It appears George Clooney likes big suitcases full...
Antony Ingram -
Saab Receives Cash But Chinese Deals May Still Be Blocked
Update: Earlier this week news broke that Saab's Chinese partners would be blocked from their bid to give the Swedish automaker a much-need cash infusion. Today, Saab has responded with a statement that says the reports were misinformed, and that it has received a first payment by China's Youngman...
Nelson Ireson -
Putting a luxury face on an automaker in a region where it's known more for affordable commuters than superb sedans is a tough endeavor. Lexus and Cadillac, and more recently Infiniti, are facing that challenge in Europe, and if upmarket Ford brand Lincoln hopes to be around in years to come it too needs to expand sales overseas and become more relevant in a global context. Lincoln is barely acknowledged in markets outside of North America but this may soon change according to recent comments from Ford CEO Alan Mulally. China’s insatiable appetite for luxury cars is proving too...
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Saab Cheats Death, Gets Bankruptcy Protection
An appeals court in Western Sweden has granted Saab bankruptcy protection, over-ruling a district court decision that would have marked the end of the Swedish Automaker.
Kurt Ernst -
Saab Licenses Rights To Phoenix (Next-Gen 9-3) Platform For $95 Million
Saab is in trouble. That's been clear for a long while now. Just how much trouble has come into focus in the last few weeks. Now, Saab has decided to license its core next-generation sedan architecture to a "special purpose" vehicle company called Swedish Automobile coöperatief U.A. (SPV). The...
Nelson Ireson -
Bentley Teams With Linley For Special Edition Continental Flying Spur
Not to be outdone by Rolls-Royce’s year of the dragon special edition Phantom, Bentley has announced its own special Continental Flying Spur model for the Chinese market. Developed in collaboration with British design firm Linley, only 10 of the special Continental Flying Spurs will be built...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Rolls-Royce Celebrates Year Of The Dragon With Special Phantom
Next year is the Chinese year of the Dragon, a very important year on the Chinese Zodiac, and with China being so important for Rolls-Royce these days, the British automaker has decided to build a special edition range of Phantom sedans called the “Year of the Dragon Collection”...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
GM Slashing Vehicle Platforms, Starting Cadillac Production In China
By 2018, General Motors hopes to halve its number of vehicle platforms from a current 30 down to just 14.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Over the past couple of years, autonomous cars have shifted gears: once considered a novelty act akin to life-size remote-controlled vehicles, there's recently been serious talk about using autonomous cars for everyday transportation. And as one of the world's biggest auto markets, China isn't about to be left out of the discussion. So far, Google has dominated the autonomous car conversation with its high-profile fleet of self-driving Priuses (Prii, if you must). But China has an entrant, too: researchers at the country's National University of Defense Technology partnered with First Auto...
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BMW Posts $2.57 Billion Net Profit In Second Quarter Of 2011
With its strong second quarter results, BMW is now predicting annual sales in excess of 1.6 million units.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2013 BMW 3-Series Long Wheelbase Spy Shots: Forbidden Fruit
The 2013 BMW 3-Series Long Wheelbase is being designed exclusively for the Chinese market and should make its world debut at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show next April.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Saab Working On Three New Models With Chinese Partner
Saab and a Chinese partner are working to develop three new models.
Tim Healey -
Saab To Restart Production In August, Finalizes Real Estate Deal
Saab looks to be almost back in business, with the automaker announcing this week the finalization of yet another cash injection deal as well as a tentative August date for the restart of production at its main plant in Trollhattan, Sweden. Saab has announced that it has obtained final approval...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Saab Announces New 9-1, 9-6X And 9-7, Finalizes Deal With Pang Da And Youngman
Despite all its financial troubles, Saab has come out and announced plans for the development of three brand new models on top of its next-generation 9-3 due out next year. The struggling Swedish automaker announced today that it has finalized its previous tentative deals made with Chinese firms...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran