First Tesla Model S Arrives in China; Sets Owner Back $410,500

This is not the first time we’ve discussed Tesla Motors’ entry plans into China, but it is the first time we’re able to show you photos of an actual Model S on The People’s Republic soil.

The black example that you see in this post's opening shot is believed to be the very first one to ever be imported into the country, although we don’t believe it was brought in via an official source.

For all intents and purposes, it’s a bit of a grey market car now and its owner must have really wanted it, because it apparently cost him $410,500 / €298,600 for the privilege. Most of it is probably due to VAT and delivery charges on top of the regular price.

Besides, when Tesla does officially break the Chinese ice, they will be doing so under a different name, after a would-be speculator snagged up the local rights to use the company moniker. Its owner is a 24 year-old man from the city of Dongyang, who reportedly had it ordered from Hong Kong, and may make it part of the luxury wedding car rental service that he’s involved in.

We’re still waiting for a long-wheelbase version of the Model S, a variant which would make it so much more appealing in China. We tried our hand at making a quick mockup of what it could look like here.

By Andrei Nedelea

Story References: scmp and weibo

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Chrysler Reportedly in Talks to Build Cherokee in China as Fiat Viaggio Sales Dissapoint

Fiat and Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne is reportedly finalizing a deal with local partner Guangzhou Automobile Group to assemble the Jeep Cherokee SUV in China. According to insiders quoted by Bloomberg, the SUV could arrive in Chinese dealerships as early as 2015.

Fiat is considering assembling the Cherokee at its existing plant in the country rather than build a new facility for it – that would also help it fill unused capacity as the Viaggio sedan it manufactures in China is forecast to miss sales targets for 2013 and 2014 by more than 60 percent.

Viaggio sales are reportedly affected by the model’s lack of visibility on the market. The compact sedan debuted on the Chinese market in September 2012. Although Fiat targeted production of 100,000 Viaggios this year and as much as 200,000 next year, analysts estimate sales of only 40,000 units this year and 54,000 units in 2014. The Dodge Dart-based Fiat Viaggio was made specifically for China and competes in the market’s biggest segment.

Both the Viaggio and the new Cherokee use the same underpinnings as the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, so building them in the same plant would make economic sense for Fiat. The Cherokee, which is called the “Zi You Guang” in China (“Liberty Light”), would also be exempted from the 25 percent import duties. Jeep is more recognizable than Fiat in China because in the 1980s, it was the first western badge built in the country. No Jeep vehicles are currently made in China after the plant shifted to Mercedes-Benz vehicles about 10 years ago during DaimlerChrysler’s ownership of the Jeep brand.

Fiat and Chrysler declined to comment on production plans for China.

By Dan Mihalascu

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China: That's One Way to Slash Fuel and Transportation Costs

It sounds like one of those sometimes mildly amusing and other times, borderline offensive, jokes people tell to their friends or comedians in front of a crowd, but since this isn't an anecdote, we'll just go ahead and ask you; how many grown men do you think can fit on a tricycle?

The answer, according to this video report from China, is a mind-blowing 18 men! Personally, my count stopped at 15, but I may be wrong and the report could be right, as three more men might be hiding out of the camera's sight of vision.

Feel free to make your own count in the video that you'll find waiting for you after the break.

VIDEO

Michael Bay Attacked by Extortionists in Hong Kong while Filming Transformer 4, But Only Once

It isn't always easy to be a big-shot film director, and no, we're talking about bad press or critics (like ourselves…), but about actual physical attacks, and yes they do exist. Michael Bay, the director of the Transformers franchise, and members of his crew, were harassed and blackmailed last week while filming the fourth installment of the series named "Transformers: Age Of Extinction" in Hong Kong.

Rumored by the local press to be members of the Chinese triad, but dubbed simply goons on drugs by Bay himself, they attempted to extort "thousands of dollars" to leave the filming crew alone. Two brothers were eventually arrested after they allegedly demanded 100,000 Hong Kong dollars (close to US$13,000).

On Thursday, a new report stemming from Hong Kong stated that a second extortion attempt took place during filming, something that Bay denied.

"I’m here to set the record straight again…my crew and I have been having a great time in Hong Kong despite what you may have read about us being “rocked by a second extortion attempt.”  Totally untrue," Bay said in a posting. "A few bad dudes have definitely not ruined the experience.  We shoot from sun up to sun down, and the local HK crew have become part of our on-set family.  We’re in the middle of busy streets, in businesses, and even in people’s homes, and everyone we’ve met has been very accommodating and generous.  It’s been a once in a lifetime experience we’d all consider doing again."

As for last week's incident, Bay described it in a lengthy posting on his website thusly:

"Yes, the story is being passed around is not all true! Yes, some drugged up guys were being belligerent asses to my crew for hours in the morning of our first shoot day in Hong Kong. On guy rolled metal carts into some of my actors trying to shake us down for thousands of dollars to not play his loud music or hit us with bricks.

Every vendor where we shot got paid a fair price for our inconvenience, but he wanted four times that amount. I personally told this man and his friends to forget it we were not going to let him extort us. He didn't like that answer. So an hour later he came by my crew as we were shooting, carrying a long air conditioner unit. He walked right up to me and tried to smack my face, but I ducked threw the air unit on the floor and pushed him away. That's when the security jumped on him. But it took seven big guys to subdue him. It was like a Zombie in Brad Pitt's movie World War Z—he lifted seven guys up and tried to bite them. He actually bit into one of the guards Nike shoe, insane. Thank god it was an Air Max, the bubble popped, but the toe was saved.

Then it took fifteen Hong Kong cops in riot gear to deal with these punks. In all, four guys were arrested for assaulting the officers. After that, we had a great day shooting here in Hong Kong. The place couldn't be better."

Photos Courtesy of Michael Bay, Video via TMZ

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VIDEO

VW Opens its 16th Plant in China and 105th Worldwide for VW and Skoda Models

Another month, another plant inauguration for VW in China. One can't help but marvel at the scale of the world's third-biggest carmaker. The Volkswagen Group has just opened its 105th plant worldwide and the 16th it has in China, the world’s largest car market.

Located in Ningbo, south eastern China, the facility will have an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles and will create 5,700 new jobs. The plant features production technology based on the Modular Transverse Toolkit (MQB) and will manufacturer Volkswagen and Skoda models.

The new plant was built in less than two years and is part of the Shanghai-Volkswagen joint venture between SAIC Motor Corporation and Volkswagen AG. Located 150 km south of the greater Shanghai area, the facility has its own press, body and paint shops plus a final assembly unit. The first model to roll off the assembly line will be the Skoda Superb, with other MQB-based VW and Skoda models to follow in the next stage.

“This new, state-of-the-art factory is further proof of the Volkswagen Group's comprehensive commitment in China. For our Group brands, the Ningbo plant also gives new momentum to tapping the full potential of the huge market south and west of Shanghai,” said Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, CEO of the Volkswagen Group.

China is the VW Group’s largest sales market, with the German carmaker delivering 2.81 million vehicles in the country last year together with its partners Shanghai-Volkswagen and FAW-Volkswagen. Deliveries rose 18 percent in the first nine months of this year compared with the same period last year to 2.36 million vehicles. By 2018, the automaker targets an annual production capacity of around 4 million vehicles.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Dodge Dart's Chinese Twin, the Fiat Viaggio, Scooped in Hatchback Form

The development phase of the five-door hatchback version of Fiat's rather awkwardly named for English language speakers, the Viaggio, which itself is the China market edition of the North American Dodge Dart compact sedan, is nearing its end, as these spy shots prove.

In fact, according to local media reports, the Fiat Viaggio Hatchback will break cover at the 2013 Guangzhou International Auto Show held in late November.

The pictures, along with the fairly accurate renderings posted below reveal a sleek looking body for the hatch with a sloped rear window. Like the sedan, the five-door version will be manufactured in China from the Italian automaker's joint venture with the Guangzhou Automobile Group.

In China, the hatch should be offered with a similar range of engines as the sedan, including Fiat's 1.4-liter turbocharged petrol unit. There are no current plans to offer the hatch in other markets.

Photos via ifeng, autohome & auto163

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New Ford Transit Connect Taxi Goes to Hong Kong

The recently revealed all-new 2014 Ford Transit Connect Taxi has added Hong Kong to the list of global cities where it will go on service, following New York City, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles. Although it owns nearly 60 percent of the taxi market in the United States, Ford also wants to strike it big in other regions of the world, with Hong Kong being the first major city chosen.

The Transit Connect Taxi has been unveiled in Hong Kong, where it comes equipped with a liquefied petroleum gas fuel system designed to run on the city’s developed LPG infrastructure. 

Based on the current Ford Transit Connect, the taxi version is longer than the previous model, offering seating for five and increased cargo capacity. The car features a new engine, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit paired to a new six-speed automatic that can run on gasoline or liquefied petroleum gas.

The 2014 Transit Connect Taxi has a lower ride height, providing improved clearance for taxicab companies to place advertising on the cabin roof. Ford has also added an interior hood release, allowing drivers easy access to check fluid levels prior to starting a shift.

The floor of the Transit Connect Taxi has been lowered for improved access to the cabin and can be modified for wheelchair accessibility through Ford’s Qualified Vehicle Modifier program.

By Dan Mihalascu

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