2012 BMW 6-Series Coupe Officially Revealed, 118 High-Res Pictures for Your Viewing Pleasure

BMW has put the top on its all-new 2012 6-Series with the presentation of the Coupe model ahead of its world premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show in China in April. The new 6-Series Coupe comes shortly after the convertible model that received its public debut at this year’s Detroit Motor Show in January.

Based on last year’s ‘BMW Concept 6 Series Coupe’, the styling of the Bavarian firm’s premium GT is the work of BMW design boss Adrian van Hooydonk, who replaced Chris Bangle in 2009. The new 6er feature s a far less controversial but somewhat more bland styling that its predecessor with a pronounced front end sporting a busy set of headlamps and auxiliary lights and a relatively low roofline.

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READ MORE - 2012 BMW 6-Series Coupe Officially Revealed, 118 High-Res Pictures for Your Viewing Pleasure

China Rumors: BMW to Team up with Brilliance and Develop Local Market EV Based on 5-Series

BMW is making plans with its Chinese partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. to develop a new fully electric model designed specifically for the local market, according to Autonews Europe citing a report from the Beijing Youth Daily newspaper.

The report added that the EV will be built on the platform of the current BMW 5-Series, a long-wheel base version of which is assembled at the German firm's plant in Shenyang, China, and that a pre-production concept study will make its world premiere at an auto show in China sometime this year. No other details were given about the electric model.

READ MORE - China Rumors: BMW to Team up with Brilliance and Develop Local Market EV Based on 5-Series

New Nissan Sunny Sedan Unveiled at China Auto Show. Is this the New 2012 Versa?

Taking center stage and making its world debut at the 8th China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition, is Nissan's all-new global small sedan, which will be locally marketed as the Sunny. According to the Japanese automaker, the new small sedan will go on sale first in China in January 2011 and then progressively across 170 countries worldwide under different vehicle brand names.

Even though Nissan's Spartan press release did not mention the Versa, there are one too many styling similarities between the new Sunny and the 2012 Versa sedan teased in an official sketch released by the automaker in October 2010. However, we have to stress the fact that Nissan has not made a connection between the two cars.

The Sunny, or as Nissan likes to call it, the firm's new global sedan, is believed to be based on the underpinnings of the Micra supermini, something that could explain the striking resemblance of the dashboard design.

Among the few details released about the car is that in China, it will be offered with Nissan's 1.5-liter HR15DE four-cylinder engine linked to Xtronic CVT, and that engineers have fitted the Sunny with MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam for the rear suspension.

For the China market, the new Sunny will be produced in Dongfeng Nissan’s Huadu Plant in Guangzhou and will be priced from RMB 82.8K to 112.8K (US$12,450-16,830 / €9,400 -12,700 / Yen 1.04 million - 1.41million).

READ MORE - New Nissan Sunny Sedan Unveiled at China Auto Show. Is this the New 2012 Versa?

Honda Rolls Out New Li Nian S1 Subcompact Sedan at China Auto Show

China's recently developed passion for cars is paving the way for an increasing number of new vehicles targeting value-conscious consumers. Along with Nissan, which took the wraps of the 2011 Sunny, Honda also debuted a new small sedan today at the 2010 China International Automobile Exhibition.

Called the S1, the four-door model will be marketed under the newly formed Li Nian brand, created by Guangqi Honda, a Chinese joint venture owned by Honda and the Guangzhou Automobile Group.

The Li Nian S1 is the far less exciting (from a design standpoint) production version of the Everus Concept, which made its world premiere at the Guangzhou Motor Show in April. Even though Honda is keeping most details about the car under wraps, it appears that the S1 is based off the previous generation Honda City (Fit / Jazz sedan), and not the newer model of the car, which was released in 2008.

According to Honda, the S1 targets the younger generation in China and "adopts a powerful, energetic and outstanding design form".

The Li Nian S1 will be available in the market from the spring of 2011 through the current Guangqi Honda sales channel, with engine options including 1.3-liter and 1.5-liter petrol units.

READ MORE - Honda Rolls Out New Li Nian S1 Subcompact Sedan at China Auto Show

Honda Rolls Out New Li Nian S1 Subcompact Sedan at China Auto Show

China's recently developed passion for cars is paving the way for an increasing number of new vehicles targeting value-conscious consumers. Along with Nissan, which took the wraps of the 2011 Sunny, Honda also debuted a new small sedan today at the 2010 China International Automobile Exhibition.

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READ MORE - Honda Rolls Out New Li Nian S1 Subcompact Sedan at China Auto Show

New Nissan Sunny Sedan Unveiled at China Auto Show. Is this the New 2012 Versa?

Taking center stage and making its world debut at the 8th China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition, is Nissan's all-new global small sedan, which will be locally marketed as the Sunny. According to the Japanese automaker, the new small sedan will go on sale first in China in January 2011 and then progressively across 170 countries worldwide under different vehicle brand names.

Even though Nissan's Spartan press release did not mention the Versa, there are one too many styling similarities between the new Sunny and the 2012 Versa sedan teased in an official sketch released by the automaker in October 2010. However, we have to stress the fact that Nissan has not made a connection between the two cars.

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READ MORE - New Nissan Sunny Sedan Unveiled at China Auto Show. Is this the New 2012 Versa?

China Hopes to Bully Foreign Companies, Trade Market Access for Electric Vehicle Technology

The chips are finally hitting the fan. China has put the word out there that it may play a big power card in the near future: give us all the secrets to your tech, or we won't let you build and sell in our ever-growing Chinese market.

According to the Wall Street Journal, executives have been given a proposal that would provide China with a majority share in any joint venture involving foreign companies introducing "key new-energy components...such as advanced lithium-ion batteries and high-power electric motors". This would allow China to gain control of the technology that minority shareholders (i.e. anyone else) bring to the table.

In response to this, one anonymous executive said, "[This is] tantamount to China strong-arming foreign auto makers to give up battery, electric-motor, and control technology in exchange for market access. We don't like it." Another executive has claimed this sort of scheme simply "raises the hurdle" in building electric cars in China.

This technology-for-market access trade, in turn, would push China one step further toward its goal of being a world leader in electric vehicles; looks like they'll pass on improving their current vehicles and move straight onto electrics (because by now the Chinese have realized that their own cars are WAY off the mark). Another step in attaining its goal is to consolidate and concentrate its automotive manufacturer base.

Ultimately, China hopes to have three to five manufacturers building globally-competitive electric cars. According to non-Chinese execs, the investment could require up to $15 Billion (100 billion yuan) and no one seems to be sure where the money's coming from; that is, no one is sure how much cash foreign companies will need to invest and how much China's government will put up.

That money, however acquired, would go into manufacturing facilities, suppliers, and infrastructure for China's future electric/hybrid vehicles (estimated to be five million by 2020).

At the World Economic Forum, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said, "China is committed to creating an open and fair environment for foreign-invested enterprises...Foreign-invested enterprises in China on the whole enjoy a good environment and have reaped good returns."

Oh, and get this: the Industry Ministry has asked for opinions from state-owned automakers and its fellow ministries to see if anything needs to be postponed and reworked.

That's like asking your reflection if that next shot is a good idea (hint: it always agrees with you). What's worse is that this plan could go into effect NEXT MONTH. Looks like China is getting a little too big for its britches...

By Phil Alex

Source: WSJ

READ MORE - China Hopes to Bully Foreign Companies, Trade Market Access for Electric Vehicle Technology

China Hopes to Bully Foreign Companies, Trade Market Access for Electric Vehicle Technology

The chips are finally hitting the fan. China has put the word out there that it may play a big power card in the near future: give us all the secrets to your tech, or we won't let you build and sell in our ever-growing Chinese market.

According to the Wall Street Journal, executives have been given a proposal that would provide China with a majority share in any joint venture involving foreign companies introducing "key new-energy components...such as advanced lithium-ion batteries and high-power electric motors". This would allow China to gain control of the technology that minority shareholders (i.e. anyone else) bring to the table.

Read more »

READ MORE - China Hopes to Bully Foreign Companies, Trade Market Access for Electric Vehicle Technology

2010 Beijing Auto Show was Huge and Successful

As more evidence that the Chinese auto industry is here to stay (All hail our future Chinese overlords!), the 2010 Beijing International Auto Exhibition - aka the Beijing Auto Show - has been labeled a "great success".

To prove it, here are the numbers:

780,000 visitors
200,000 square meter exhibition area (over 2 million square feet)
12,000+ journalists
1,564 "media organizations"
990 Vehicles on display
89 World debuts (14 from global manufacturers)
65 Concept cars (37 from global manufacturers)

Yeah, that's big. And they're hoping to do even better in 2012.

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READ MORE - 2010 Beijing Auto Show was Huge and Successful

China's Electric Chrysler Sebring: BAIC BE071

Some live pictures of BAIC's Sebring-based electric car have been found, and the results are thankfully not scary to look at.

China's BAIC (Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings Co.) opened its own dedicated alternate propulsion division a while back in the form of the Beijing New Energy Automotive Company. Now that's a name that rolls off the tongue.

B-NEAC's goal is to build a few hundred test vehicles as taxis that would be rechargeable throughout Beijing. If the taxis are successful, stage two would consist of building a bunch more and lease them directly to the public.

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READ MORE - China's Electric Chrysler Sebring: BAIC BE071

VIDEO: BMW Concept Gran Coupé Presentation from Beijing

BMW held a special private reception on the evening of the first press day at the Beijing Motor Show to unveil its all-new Concept Gran Coupé as well as the long wheelbase versions of the 5 Series, specially developed for the Chinese market, and this here video includes scenes from that event.

Most of you will probably be interested only in BMW's conceptual answer to Merc's CLS sports saloon, so in the video after the jump, fast forward to the 1:25 minute mark for the part with the Gran Coupé.

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READ MORE - VIDEO: BMW Concept Gran Coupé Presentation from Beijing

VIDEO: 2011 Hyundai Accent / Verna Small Sedan

This here is the first video of Hyundai's all-new 2011 Accent sedan that made its world premiere at the Beijing Auto Show as the Verna. Sporting a new design that draws directly from the latest Sonata, the Accent / Verna also gets a new platform and a choice of 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter engines with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.

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READ MORE - VIDEO: 2011 Hyundai Accent / Verna Small Sedan

Citroën Metropolis Concept: First Real Life Photos and Video

These are the first 'real life' pictures of Citroën's latest concept car, the Metropolis, that gives certain German makers (see Porsche and BMW) a lesson or two on how to design an eye-candy luxury sports saloon.

The styling of the 5.3m long and 2m wide but only 1.4m high Metropolis has echoes of the French automaker's well received GT supercar concept of 2008. This one was developed by Citröen's Shanghai-based design team.

Under the subtle "Pearl Silk" colored bodywork there's a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that utilizes "an optimized" 2.0-liter V6 petrol engine, an electric motor and a 7-speed, dual-clutch electronic gearbox.

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READ MORE - Citroën Metropolis Concept: First Real Life Photos and Video

Beijing Show: MG Zero Supermini Concept

This year's edition of the Beijing Motor Show saw China-owned MG unveiling the 'ZERO', a thinly disguised concept of an upcoming production model in the supermini segment -most likely called MG3- that could go on sale in China first and then in Europe as early as next year.

The company emphasized the fact that the 4m long supermini was developed in the UK by MG Global Design team, led by British MG Design Director Anthony (Tony) Williams-Kenny, based in Birmingham.

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READ MORE - Beijing Show: MG Zero Supermini Concept