If you want to get a conversation going between car enthusiasts, talk about some upcoming Chinese car or motorcycle that might be sold here in America. This is something that seemingly everyone has an opinion on and often, you won’t be getting positive comments. For years, I’ve heard motorcycle riders saying they would never buy a motorcycle built in China. Car people say they would never buy a car built in China, either.
Indeed, if you bought one of the Chinese motorcycles imported into America back in 2008, it was probably a pile of crap. I owned a 2009 CFMoto Fashion 250, a clone of the Honda Helix. The clone scooter had a pinging engine that had a knack for expelling oil and then drinking it through the intake. Adjusting the scoot’s valves didn’t fix it and I never figured out why it always spewed oil. I got rid of the thing before it could fully kill itself.
However, times are a bit different now and you can get quality products from China. The iPhone you’re using to read this post is proof of that. Also, vehicle production is global nowadays, so you can find Chinese-built vehicles from non-Chinese brands and Chinese brands with parts that aren’t from China. Motorcycle guru Bret Tkacs has an illuminating video on the subject:
Anyway, if you aren’t convinced, Rad Barchetta has just the thing:
If a Chinese car maker decided to start selling a pre-rusted Brown Manual Wagon with a twin turbo straight 6 and houndstooth seats on 15″ wheels, every commenter here would be singing a different tune.
You know what, I’d buy that Chinese car tomorrow!
A lot of you have takes on the Tesla Cybertruck, and a few stand out. Millermatic made me giggle:
“It’s very rare that a product comes along that’s seemingly impossible, that people said was impossible, that experts said was impossible,” said Musk.
Well… you did say it was going to cost $39,900. So it seems like delivering it on time at the original price was impossible?
I love when readers reference other parts of Autopian canon, such as David eating food in the shower. BolognaBurrito shocked Huibert Mees by suggesting a fix for the fact you probably couldn’t fit really huge tires on a Cubertruck:
Nothing 4″ wheel spacers can’t fix, amirite?
Finally, I have an announcement. The awesome Thad has created a GoFundMe to help Jason heal with reduced stress regarding America’s healthcare system. If you want to help, click here. You awesome people have thus far donated $4,072! Have a great evening, everyone.
(Topshot: Bring a Trailer Seller)
I for one get pretty excited every time I see the odd chinese car on portugese roads. The SAIC Maxus van recently went on sale here, I’ve seen maybe three or four in the flesh so far and the novelty has yet to wear off. A bit like when Lada and Yugo entered the portuguese market as their respective origin countries collapsed. I always loved seeing those on the road, no matter how bad of a reputation they had. I still get excited when I see the occasional Niva, which was a moderate success at the time (if I had to guess, I’d say Nivas accounted for more than half of all former eastern bloc car sales in Portugal).
They Cybertruck picture is pretty interesting. Apparently they are available in two-toned white and black, and can carry a mountain of camping gear, luggage and a boat to the middle of nowhere without even getting a bit dusty, even on the tires. However, the tailgate doesn’t close, the doors don’t close, and the hood is open so the owner can… check the oil?
Funny, my brain has a hard time deciding if it’s two-tone or just the studio lighting awufully adjusted in this bad photoshop.
Houndstooth seats and a manual transmission? I’d have to at least consider it even if it were designed and built in the DPRK. 😉
Thanks, Mercedes!
But I can’t control where my phone is assembled.
But I am allowed to choose where my next shitbox came from, usually.
Just not gonna do it. No. Too many better choices out there.
And some are even built in the USA.
And my Shitbox costs me about 30 times as much as my iPhone did.
I can live with that.
This sounds like a job for a used 3800 powered granny Buick!!
Hell it might even be cheaper than your iPhone.
My MIL had a 90’s Buick. That piece of shit ate transmissions like a 6 year eats candy.
Thankfully she had 2 other decent cars to drive when that turdmobile was taking up shop space…
So much for “built in the USA”.
She also had a 1981 Impala and a 96 Caprice with the police package.
But whenever she rode in our Toyotas, she was hugely impressed.
If she had not lost family members in WWII she probably would have owned one…
Doesn’t sound like a good candidate for a Mitsubishi, no.
You are correct. I sure do miss her though.
I grew up in an import family. My Dad never owned an American car for longer than 6 months.
Getting old can suck.
Thanks.
Getting old may sometimes suck but it always beats the alternative.
But is it diesel?
… with crank windows?
Needs to specifically be a column-shifted manual transmission. With front bench seat. And rear-facing jump seats. And have zero modifications. And can be haggled down to $750.
No highballers, I know what I want.
Of course it is! With mechanical injection, too!
Sold!