About China's Coolest Cars
I went to see the new Aito M9 in a HIMA shop in southern Beijing. The Aito M9 is a large high-tech machine with EV and EREV powertrains. It isn’t super pretty in the traditional sense, but it sure is very impressive.
Continue reading “Aito M9 In China: A High-Tech SUV With 497 kW”
This is a Hongqi CA7180A2EL1 stretched limousine, seen in the far north of Beijing in March 2012. The gentleman cleaning the car was the driver, waiting for his boss to come back from his business.
Initially, he completely ignored me taking photos, but when he found out I spoke some Chinese and smoked heavy stinkin’ Honghe cigarettes, he told me a lot about the car.
Continue reading “Hongqi CA7180A2EL1 Is An Audi-based Stretched Limousine”
Here’s an Audi A6L pickup truck, seen near an Audi dealer in Beijing in 2016. This is a very famous car in China. Audi dealers used several of these converted trucks as service vehicles in the 2000s and 2010s.
Continue reading “The Audi A6L Pickup Truck Is A Parts Hauler In China”
Here’s an absolutely beautiful Nissan Cedric Brougham VIP V6, seen at a Ford dealer in Beijing in May 2016. The classic Nissan sedan was still used as a daily driver, and it was in perfect shape. It also had special blue “京A” license plates.
Continue reading “Nissan Cedric Brougham VIP V6 Is A Classic Japanese Sedan In China”
The Voyah Taishan is a typical Chinese luxury SUV: gigantic, high-tech, in-your-face, and loaded with bling. I saw this Gilded Purple example in southern Beijing in the spring of 2026. There’s much to tell:
Continue reading “Voyah Taishan: Chinese Luxury SUV With 510 kW And A 1430-km Range”
Here’s a Geely Merrie hatchback, seen in Beijing in 2016. It was in fantastic shape for its age, with the insurance stickers on the windshield going back to 2003! The Merrie is completely original, down to the wheels and even the mud flaps. A real time capsule on the road.
Continue reading “Geely Merrie hatchback Is In Perfect Original Shape In China”
Here’s an AUDI E5 Sportback, parked alongside the road in southern Beijing in the spring of 2026. The high-tech electric car was brand new, painted in Morning Dawn Purple. It packs a 525 hp powertrain and an 83 kWh battery.
Here’s a 212 T01, seen at a car market in east Beijing in the summer of 2025. It looked great in Breeze Blue, with big off-road tires and a night-light on the front fender. It has a 4×4 powertrain with a 252 hp 2.0 turbo under the hood. Let’s have a closer look at this interesting machine:
Continue reading “212 T01 Is A Cool Chinese 4×4 SUV With 252 HP”
This is a Hafei Baili HFJ 7090, seen in March 2017 at a car market in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. The beautiful Baili was in reasonable shape. Oddly, the owner had painted the wheels green and the interior blue.
Continue reading “Hafei Baili: A Cheap Chinese Family Car With 44 HP”
Here’s a Mitsuoka Galue-II, seen at a car market in Beijing in 2025. It looked fantastic in dark black, with its shiny bumpers and white-wall tires. The car was slightly modified, with a lower ride height, bigger wheels, and a cool flag pole.
Continue reading “Mitsuoka Galue II: A Unique Retro-Classic Sedan Based On A Nissan”
