10 Chinese cars knock-offs
While the car market booms in China, we look alikes shameless Chinese automakers sell - and see if they are legal.
The Chinese auto industry is a very large In 2013, China produced a whopping 18 July million cars, equivalent to 22 7 percent of global automotive production this year Many of these models were familiar with marks buyers of western cars, some were businesses that we have never heard of, but the third group, we are interested here are cars that we have never heard that seem to still look strangely familiar, it is the Chinese copycat cars .
Chinese domestic car brands have less proud history of copying designs from other manufacturers cars Some are blatant rip-offs are other more subtle homage to the original MINI lookalikes sold off to Range Rover bishops and even attempted to greatness a Rolls-Royce, we've chosen a set of imitations and closest alongside their lookalikes.
Scroll down for our selection of recent Chinese copycat cars.
We talked to Oliver Tidman, an attorney at the law firm of intellectual property BRIFFA, to know what legal status of an automaker if it thinks that its design has been copied by another.
There is no law on international copyright, he said, but there are international agreements such as the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works Works These countries need to mutually recognize intellectual property rights.
Copyright laws vary from country to country, and while the rules may vary, the principles are similar.
And it is not only a material object that is the subject of breaking the law of copyright, but the original design itself In the UK, copyright protects certain types of work, including artistic , Tidman added in terms of car models, it is likely that copyright subsists in an original 2D graphics on a computer screen or drawing.
If a company does not think design has been copied, however, it is not easy to prove that the company would have to prove that there was a copy by assessing objective similarities and decide if these similarities are the result of independent creation or if counterfeiting design is derived from the original design, our expert says there must be a causal link between the two works, which can be difficult to prove.
In addition to protection of copyright, it is possible to save drawings If the design or prototype is considered original, it is possible to obtain design protection or model registered up to 25 years, said Tidman.
Departure copycat cars below, next models, they seem to have drawn inspiration from.
Small electric cars were everywhere at the Auto Shanghai 2015 Exhibition and getting the most attention is clearly the mixture looks a chip and tridion safety cell distinctiveness of the E30 also sports a knock-off Tesla Model S large screen tablet style table slightly smaller edge and wider than the chip, the E30 has an electric driving range of 93 miles around a top speed pushing 50 mph.
You have probably heard all about the Landwind X7 is a convincing copy of the Range Rover Evoque, but we think the Brits probably wouldn t offer their compact SUV upmarket quite that sinister shadow of green.
While the exterior is almost Evoque in looks, the interior is not, but despite this, Land Rover is naturally not happy with an asking price of about 14,000 X7 might take sales away from the Evoque now produced locally which costs a little over 35k.
With a name on George S Patton, the famous and highly respected general of the US Army who commanded the army seventh during World War 2, there's no doubt what the G Patton is inspired.
The 19-foot long 4x4 mix classical and American integer off roaders and vehicles of custom army It may come as a seven-seater or a movie in the back and two luxury chairs, and is powered by June 1 V10 producing 357bhp 8 liters.
The Hongqi LS5 proves that the Evoque is not the only product Range Rover China seems so bright, but the grand daddy of the range sits next to the L5 oddly style limo, the LS5 uses the previous generation Range Rover as its model style, just a little tight in terms of the Chinese taste.
There's even a hint of Jeep Grand Cherokee in front as Inside, passengers are treated to many luxury gadgets with a dashboard that has a passing resemblance surprise, surprise an old Range Rover's Under the Hood is a gasoline engine turbo 4 0 liters pushing around 510bhp.
The eagle is a car designed to show expertise in the country in producing an electric sports car, but it is impossible to avoid the cars the designer took cues We believe it's powered by a tiny battery which just gives a maximum speed of about 70 mph and a range of 160 miles-in contrast to the eye.
There's no getting away from how much like the eagle that looks like a Porsche Cayman with a Ferrari F12 nose grafted Even the badge is a close copy of the iconic golden shield of the Porsche.
While some companies won t leave only on what car they could be imitated, it appears that JAC was very happy to own when its latest version badged A6 Yes, that's right, the A6.
Not only did it exactly the same name as the Audi A6 sedan, but it looks very similar to the original model is the grille and headlights that give not really the game away.
Another model that is more like a fusion of two cars that only one copy of a BAIC The X424 has a top of the Jeep Cherokee in front with the large openings of the grid, while the side profile is clearly taking the rugged Wrangler model perhaps the company felt that the customers wouldn t be happy with just a jeep and instead wanted the best of both.
While some knockoffs are fairly obvious at a glance, others are dressed a little better BYD S7 may not have the look of the Lexus RX forward, but there is no hiding the similarities to rear windows with the same curves, small spoiler and taillights BYD did a decent job of keeping it quiet, but not good enough.
Fancy luxury of a Rolls-Royce Phantom, but didn t quite the 305000 to cover the costs Well, the Geely GE could be the thing for you is have the large chrome grille and even a spirit of imitation of ecstasy on the hood Just do that no one is too close to see what it actually is.
The round headlights, the grille and insolent form of hatchback Lifan 330 has more than a hint of the second generation MINI Cooper about it when it was launched in Beijing Motor Show in April, even the press release welcomed the car as fashion, art and a mini temperament Lifan was just before the British brand with the five-door bodystyle, though, but that's no excuse.
Chery Riich M1 is a small sedan designed for commuters in the inner city While the front is ugly enough to not really look like anything on the roads of the UK, the side profile Curvaceous and the back of the car look like a direct lift from the Toyota Yaris MkII Fortunately for Toyota, which is where the similarities, and it is unlikely to ever real competition instead and much more attractive hatchback.
The large SUV, revealed in April Beijing Motor Show, is a dead ringer for two models of the VW Group Take the Audi Q5 and VW Touareg mix a few parts together and this is the result of the show was the Zotye T600 still twinkling in the same shade of brown as the VW Surely more than a coincidence.
Brilliance is BMW's partner in China, and the X1 compact crossover is on sale in the country through partnership So, it is interesting that Brilliance has launched its own rival to the X1, dubbed the V5 It is probably one of the closest copy we've ever seen of course, this version is cheaper than the BMW model, but is only sold in China.
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