The most important car shows for the old western car manufacturers are in danger of extinction: at first it was the corona virus that closed the exhibition gates, then a new reality began in which the manufacturers became weaker: production was damaged, the internet took over and new car manufacturers such as Tesla, do not express interest in participating in the shows.
The latest victim of the situation is one of the most important and oldest auto shows in the world: the Geneva show, which has been canceled since 2020. To the embarrassment of the exhibition, about two weeks ago the organizers announced that it would not take place in the city that bears its name, but in Qatar in general.
Alongside the dying car shows of Europe, a new power center is becoming established: the car shows in China, which can be seen in cities such as: Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. In the beginning they were the backyard of the global automotive industry. The Western manufacturers presented cars intended for the Chinese market and the Chinese manufacturers presented cars that ranged from “joke” to “horror”. But when the big automakers really started courting China, a new world order was created. The Western manufacturers moved the important models to their first premieres in China, and in the meantime the Chinese automobile industry has strengthened and its manufacturers are re-conquering the local exhibitions.
These days, most of the attention is directed to the exhibition that opened on the 26th of this month in Chengdu. As expected, a significant number of the cars on display at the show are those that are fortunately not intended for marketing in the West, but some of them are certainly interesting.
Wei Yuanmeng: Pee Cruiser
Retro cars are nothing new: Chrysler did it with the PT Cruiser, Fiat has the 500 Electric and Wei has the Yuanmeng. It’s hard to say that the Yuanmeng retro car is inspired by a specific model, it’s more along the lines of “inspired by everything bad”.
Some parts of it are inspired by what looks like a poor imitation of a Chrysler PT Cruiser, the fenders are reminiscent of executive cars of Soviet manufacturers and the startling chrome decorations on the front are reminiscent of American CORD cars.
The meaning of the car’s name is “a dream that comes true”. Wei itself is sheltered under the wings of the Chinese Great Wall, meaning that it is a sister car to ORA, whose import to Israel should begin in the not too distant future. The drive unit is based on a 1.5-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor with a rechargeable battery. That is, a plug-in hybrid.
Dongfeng Mengshi: Psychological Warfare
The 80s passed, Rambo retired and kung fu movies no longer attract an audience, but apparently this is only the case in the West: since the corona virus, Chinese film studios have taken an increasing share of film productions, and Western actors also find themselves at the heart of plots taking place in Shanghai and the Gobi desert. The Chinese car industry is no different at the level of narrative, so Dongfeng introduces a new brand: Mengshi.
The meaning of the name Mengashi is “warrior”. A name that Western automakers wouldn’t dare attach to a car, and the Mangashi certainly fits the description. The vehicle came off the production line ready to enter a combat zone with a total weight of over three tons, four electric motors that produce over a thousand horsepower and a promise to jump to 100 km/h in less than four and a half seconds. The transforming symbol in front represents the letter M, the beginning of the word MILITARY (Military). However, the manufacturer is not the only one that produces a terrifying electric SUV bordering on cartoon: General Motors, which is considered the inventor of the genre, produces the electric Hummer in the West.
BYD Corvette: good name good
Even those who are not hot car enthusiasts know very well: “Corvette” is synonymous with performance. Even the Chinese BYD knows this, so the manufacturer decided to call its new off-road vehicle that way, but added the digits 07. Western car manufacturers do not usually “get inspired” when it comes to names, but in BYD’s case it is difficult to confuse the legendary American sports car with a car The Chinese territory road.
The Chinese version is equipped with a drive system based on a 1.5-liter gasoline engine paired with one electric motor in the base version – or two in the top version. To illustrate the choice of name, BYD explains that the Corvette is part of a series of models by the manufacturer that bear the names of warships. Incidentally, Chevrolet also chose the name “Corvette” in the 1950s, inspired by warships. “Corvette” is the category of warships below the frigate (destroyer) and Chevy wanted the new car to appeal to WWII veterans. It made sense in the 1950s, and is a little puzzling in 2022.