07:03PM - 26.03.'15
|
News Source: Car News China [1], [2] autoblog.com
|
It has been a little while since we've seen any truly egregious automotive design knock-offs from China, but clearly the country's stylists have been saving two of the craziest for the recent Shandong EV Expo. The shapes of the Jinma JMW2200 (pictured above) and a prototype from the company Videoev (inset) definitely make no attempt to hide their influences. The JMW2200 looks like what might happen if a BMW i3 is saved from a car crusher midway through the job. The nose blatantly steals the German brand's kidney grille, and even the burnt orange and black color scheme on one of them comes directly from the European EV. According to Car News China, the name isn't helping the comparison, either. Jinma means Golden Horse in Chinese, and BMW is localized to Baoma, which means Treasure Horse. Power comes from a four-horsepower electric motor and a lead-acid battery offering a 75-mile range, according to Car News China. The model is cheap, though, at 24,998 yuan (about $4,030). While the JMW220 limits its inspiration to the i3, the Videoev prototype borrows liberally from multiple automakers. The design alone is a blatant rip-off of a Volkswagen Beetle. Although, the shape isn't identical because the designers include an extra set of doors to create a very bizarre five-door hatchback. The company's logo also looks a lot like the Nissan emblem, but inside of it, the typeface is nearly indistinguishable from that which Volvo uses. There's no interior yet, but Car New China indicates lead-acid batteries would be stored under a rear bench seat. Production reportedly might begin in 2016 at a price of around 100,000 yuan ($16,120). It's highly worth clicking through both galleries to check out these copied designs for all of their odd details. |
