Copycats
 

I could have saved some money on George it seems.

Aygo
http://www.auto-types.com/images/_au...ota_aygo_1.jpg

Aygo Inside
http://www.auto-types.com/images/_au...nterior_35.jpg

Or is it this one ?
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english.../148759/2A.jpg

Chinese interior ?
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english.../148759/2C.jpg

I suppose its only a cheap car though, not like copying something like maybe Smart ?
http://indianautosblog.com/wp-conten...nese_smart.jpg

:eek:

We call them BELLYBUTTON cars. Seems like everyone has them. They ought to make each brand have an exclusive color so you could identify them. Like Model T fords all black.

Maybe - these are not available, yet, from China - its only a matter of time.

If I was Mr Smart or Mr Toyota, I would be annoyed.

There may be a reason or two why Chinese clones aren't available in Europe:rolleyes:

But if you really, really, want one, then there is a way to get it: It can't be legally sold here, but you can buy it in China and import it privately. You'll have to go through a bunch of paperwork, but you won't have to watch your car wrap itself around a crash test wall. I've seen 'dealers' here which help import cars which can't be legally sold in Europe.

Thppppppppppttttt!

The Chinese have built their whole economy on stealing.......erm..cloning anything. Masters at it.

There was an article where a Buick was stolen and cloned in China ( they love Buicks apparently ). Took a minute for GM to find out. I'm going to find the article and post it.

Interestingly there are loads of youtube links to the F1, or the Geely Panda - google this grinning Aygo clone for a laugh - in crash tests. I suspect they won't get the Euro 4star rating the Aygo has but I doubt they would publish them if they folded like a wet envelope.

If it's a blatant copy, you run the risk that Customs will impound the car, then destroy it as an unauthorized copy.
It happened to a German bloke who imported an electric Smart-clone from China.


Importing stuff that violates IP rights, is an offence in most of Europe, even when done privately - it applies to watches, T-shirts and the like as well. The administrative fines on counterfeit stuff are a pretty heavy.


BTW : the "chinese interior" is cloned from the Toyota Yaris / Getz

If by Chinese Interior you mean the F1, nope its a copy of the Aygo. Like mine :D

...nah, they're not "copying"--those are just "full-scale" miniatures of the originals (wink,wink).

They did the same thing with motorcycles. I used to have a Honda Reflex and drove to work on it every day. Got 65 to 70 mpg and was loving it for about 2 years before I broke my hip rollerblading and the wife told me to I had to get rid of it.

At any rate, the Reflex was 250 cc and sold for $5,600 new:
http://speedmotors.tradenote.net/ima...ges/706729.jpg

And the cone, 250 cc sells for around $1,600 Sounds like a great deal right??
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...CA01585451.jpg



The cone actually looks better I think but it's beauty is skin deep. Anyone who made the mistake of buying one of these was very sorry. Out of the crate the "fluids" all have to be changed as they don't resemble what the should be. The fuel lines and fittings must be replaced or gas spills down the road as you ride. The cheap rubber valve stems must be replaced as they often fail causing a flat. All the bearings only have a small dab of grease and will soon fail. The electronic problems are never ending due to sub standard equipment and loose connections. The list goes on and on.

I would never put my health at the mercy of a Chinese made vehicle!

Not even the Chinese owned Volvo?

Scion xB
http://secure.post.imgs.revvyou.com/...-298370191.jpg

Greatwall CoolBear....nice name
http://oto.net.vn/userfiles/coolbear1.jpg

The outgoing Yaris' dash :

http://www.autogaul.com/wp-content/u...-Dashboard.jpg

Aygo dash - it was in my OP.

http://www.auto-types.com/images/_au...nterior_35.jpg

...interesting tachometer mounting; reminds me of hot rodding tachs of the 1950's-1960's.

They copied it from the BINI (aka BMW MINI) which in turn copied this idea from a lot of the original 1960s Mini models where owners would quite often add an aftermarket Smiths rev counter to their cars, especially if they were Cooper 'S' models or tuned by experts - e.g. Downton.

http://www.minidean.btinternet.co.uk/images/mt1.jpg

EDIT - I have one in my Aygo which I bought after buying the car.

...hadn't heard the word BINI in eons!

...I used a small (~2") VDO tachometer on my '72 1.6L Kent engined 1972 Pinto; and used two red LED's for lighting instead of single white incandescent bulb.

I had a proper Smiths one in my untuned 1.0 Mini circa 1988 - the rev counter could read to 10K.

The 998cc economy tuned A-series (3 main bearing crankshaft!) in that car was redlined at 6, and ran out of breath at 7.

Mercedes Benz and Geely Merrie 300
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mmBw3uzPnJ...omobile_01.jpg

Honda CRV and Laibao SRV
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mmBw3uzPnJ...omobile_04.jpg

Toyota Prado and Dadi Shuttle
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mmBw3uzPnJ...omobile_08.jpg

Geeley is a good one, Geeley Panda

http://i1.sinaimg.cn/qc/cr/2008/0710/2355733592.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...r_20071204.jpg

Note the tailgate hinges, brakelight and the tail lights. The Geeley has a full tailgate though, the Aygo has only a glass hatch.

Yes, I know - I only do Aygo lookalikes so far...

I wonder how they come up with those names...

...English-translation of the 'native' Chinese words used as car names.

...similar "cutesy" names happened with some of the early Honda Japanese-to-English car names

The china smart car looks NOTHING like the real one!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes:

ANYBODY can see :cool: the door handles are different!!!!:D