Safety first for domestic car makers
- Source: Shanghai Daily
- [08:44 March 22 2010]
- Comments
Beijing Automobile Industry Corp has acquired assembly plants of Saab 93 and Saab 95 vehicles for developing its own-brand cars. Geely Auto bought into an Australian transmission company.
Domestic car makers have also poured huge sums into establishing engineering institutes to help them upgrade their technologies.
"In the future, Chinese car makers will definitely pay more attention to vehicle quality amid stricter government legislation," said independent auto analyst Zhong Shi.
"Even more importantly, heated market competition will force car makers to enhance product quality in order to gain creditability and customer trust," he added. "Chinese auto buyers rely heavily on word-of-mouth when buying a car, so vehicle quality becomes a core concern."
He said China should create an independent vehicle inspection institution to issue safety information and research results to consumers.
Ferrari puts a lid on it
The two-door, hard-top convertible Ferrari California represents a number of firsts in Ferrari's iconic granturismo portfolio. It's a grand touring sports car that is powered by a front-mid mounted 4.3-liter V8 engine. With a direct injection system and 7-speed dual clutch transmission, the California claims to consume only 13.1 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers with C02 emissions of 305.6g/km, 15 percent less than the Ferrari F430.
Besides the fun of the folding metal roof, also don't forget its driving dynamics: the California has a top speed of 310 kph and it can accelerate from zero to 100 kph in under 4 seconds.
The car revives the "California" name which was used for the late-1950s Ferrari 250 GT.
Price: from 3.48 million yuan ($509,809)
Porsche improves performance
The new Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe and 911 Turbo Cabriolet are all about improved performance accompanied by lower fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The new 911 Turbo models feature an enhanced turbo-charged 3.8-liter engine with direct fuel injection and variable turbine geometry, allowing this Porsche to produce 500bhp when fitted with the 7-speed double-clutch transmission. It accelerates to 100kph in only 3.4 seconds and the top speed, in turn, is 312kph. Other features include Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) and new 19-inch Porsche Turbo II wheels fitted as standard. The two models were debuted in China at an auto show in Guangzhou in November 2009.
Price: 2.33 million yuan ($341,642) and 2.47 million yuan at Porsche Center Shanghai
