Love the way the Chinese blatantly copy brands and don't give a dam, give it a few years and we will all be riding around on Hongda or even Haoda motorcycles :)Quote:
Originally Posted by SlowSon
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Love the way the Chinese blatantly copy brands and don't give a dam, give it a few years and we will all be riding around on Hongda or even Haoda motorcycles :)Quote:
Originally Posted by SlowSon
Dores this helps for the popularity of German car makers in China :DQuote:
Originally Posted by SlowSon
Chinese Auto Manufacturers List - Information on Car, Truck, Bus, Motorcycle Makers in China (chery automobile, geely, gwm etc.)
Wow.... it's a goldmine !!!
:dozey:
Isn't MG a Chinese thing now?
I fail to see how this is "great news". The way I remember it, the 1999 China Rally was a total disaster. I seem to recall Colin McRae saying that he came flying around a corner early on and nearly ran into a cart driven by a local farmer. The organisers had gone to great lengths to set the event up, but they hadn't actually told anybody that it was on, and so the local had no idea that death in the form of a slavering 200km/h dirt monster was about to come screaming around the corner. McRae said he backed off completely after that incident.Quote:
Originally Posted by makinen_fan
That said, it's been a part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship since 2000, so the organisers have evidently gotten their game together.
I think you mean "asbestos mine".Quote:
Originally Posted by A.F.F.
I was being sarcastic. After the powerstage news, now this. The whole thing stinks.
For me personally the only benefit for having China in the wrc calendar in 1999 was the late cancellation of the 2000 event (around May if I am correct) and the last minute addition of my home rally for 8 more years in the wrc.
I don't necessarily think it's bad news. The merit of the China Rally depends entirely on the reasons for going to China. Would the WRC be going there because the event would make the calendar stronger, or would they only be going there to appease manufacturers?
To be perfectly honest, I never had much love in me for the Rally of Cyprus. I always saw it as being too similar to the Acropolis: hot, dry, dusty and murder on the cars. It didn't really add anything more to the calendar, because it didn't have a character of its own.
A return to China would no doubt be good for the likes of Hyundai and any Asian car manufacturer looking to enter the category, because it would give them a local rally to compete in and use to improve their profile. If that is the only reason why the WRC is going there, then it's probably a bad idea. But if the rally had its own character, something to define it and make it stand out from every other event, then I don't see that being a bad thing.
It's a bit a paradox ...Quote:
Originally Posted by rallye-vid
20 years ago, there was plenty of FIA homologated cars, all around in the world, Asia included.
Now ... except Europe, R cars don't travel to the rest of the world... More and more national championship are abandonning FIA regulations for local rules.
There is at least around 10 R3 outside from Europe (some in Chile and 2 in Australia), and about fifteen R2 in the rest of the World (Fiesta R2 in Australia, USA, NZ, SA, ...). Maybe first of all FIA has to do something with this, if they want to export WRC.
But a race in China could have some contenders. There is still some N4 running there, and asian drivers might be attracted by the only WRC events there.
It could easily attract a lot of the drivers competing in the ARPC, since it's already a round of that championship.
Yep, owned by SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) and Volvo is owned by Geely.Quote:
Originally Posted by MrJan
A WRC in China is two-fold, great for manufacturers and sponsors to promote their products to the world's biggest market, plus also to gain the interest of potential new manufacturers.
As one chinese motor journalist said years ago, the only way for chinese cars are to be taken seriously in the international market is to enter international motorsport.
In this country 40 years ago people ridiculed the "Jap-Crap" cars starting to fill the market.
20 years ago the same thing happened when the Korean manufacturers arrived here. Now look where they are. Toyota has been number 1 brand for at least 15 years, Hyundai is sitting nicely at number 2, with predictions it will be number 1 in the near future.
Chinese manufacturers are starting to make an appearance here over the last 5 or so years. Great Wall, Chery and Geely to name the ones I've seen. Sales are price driven, these cars are super cheap. The Chery J1 (1.3 litre, 4 door hatch, 62 kW) is only is about 7020 Euro.
Given time and some kudos on the race/rally circuit, Chinese cars will be a force not to taken lightly.
You or your kids will probably own one one day.