Photo: BMW
I simply can't get my head around the prices some people pay for their cars in various countries. Probably the most self explanatory case is China, where cars are up to 10 times more expensive than in the US.
From the manufacturer's point of view, things make absolutely perfect sense. Demand goes up, so does the price but from the consumer's point of view, it's a rip-off. That's probably why some people thought it would be a good idea to buy cars from the US and them ship them to China. It worked for a while until the US Customs service started nosing around.
The 4 Series Convertible was launched in the commie country this week and, as expected, prices are more than exorbitating. The base 428i model starts at CNY676,000 which translates into roughly $110,000, nearly 3 times more than on the American continent.
The other available model for the Chinese people is the 435i Convertible that starts at CNY808,000 ($132,500). Sure, the two have the performance and quality you'd like from BMW but still...
Talking about performance, the 428i uses a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine making 245 HP and 350 Nm of torque making the 4er a 6.4 second car to 100 km/h (62 mph).
On the other hand, the 435i is almost a second faster, reaching a top speed of 250 km/h or 155 mph. Unfortunately, none of them will be too popular in China as the pollution, traffic and noise are a real problem over there, making your drop-top lifestyle a living hell, in case you decide to go this way anyhow.
The 4 Series Convertible was launched in the commie country this week and, as expected, prices are more than exorbitating. The base 428i model starts at CNY676,000 which translates into roughly $110,000, nearly 3 times more than on the American continent.
The other available model for the Chinese people is the 435i Convertible that starts at CNY808,000 ($132,500). Sure, the two have the performance and quality you'd like from BMW but still...
Talking about performance, the 428i uses a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine making 245 HP and 350 Nm of torque making the 4er a 6.4 second car to 100 km/h (62 mph).
On the other hand, the 435i is almost a second faster, reaching a top speed of 250 km/h or 155 mph. Unfortunately, none of them will be too popular in China as the pollution, traffic and noise are a real problem over there, making your drop-top lifestyle a living hell, in case you decide to go this way anyhow.
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