Now, I've changed my opinion about Chinese products a lot in the past few months. Some companies make great products at affordable prices and constantly adapt to consumer feedback.
A Volvo exec recently also said that China makes better quality cars than Europe. Using more human labor instead of robots allegedly allows plants there to achieve tighter tolerances. What do you know? A country that's been manufacturing stuff with attention to detail for millennia is good at it.
Cars have increasingly become white goods, so I feel ready for ownership of a Chinese branded vehicle in a few decades. Maybe I will even order it on eBay or Amazon. I'm sure plenty of people think the same, but car reviews have always put a damper on that, especially old Top Gear.
Jeremy Clarkson and the gang have been to China before, and they even had a local Stig. However, they are taking things to new extremes with Season 3 of The Grand Tour, which is potentially the last one.
This video shows Jeremy filming a piece on the Hongqi L5. Unlike a Haval or LYNC, this is completely irrelevant. About four years ago, this retro-modern limousine was branded "China's most expensive car" at 5 million yuan or $800,000.
The model looks like a combination between a Maybach 600 and a 1960s Chrysler. It weighs over 3 tons and is about 2 meters wide. Its 5.55-meter body dwarfs even the 5.2-meter Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. Power cames from a 6-liter V12 producing a mere 408 horsepower, 550 Nm of torque and linked to a gearbox with only six speeds.
Hongqi, which means Red Flag, is the oldest automaker in China. You can check out Jay Leno's review of their 1970's limo if you don't believe the heritage. They make three versions of this L5, one for members of the government, one for parades and the civilian model.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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