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The ORA Punk Cat Is a Four-Door VW Beetle EV Knockoff With an Insane Interior

The ORA marque has been on the market since 2018: it is Great Wall Motors’ EV-focused brand. Since 2018, ORA has displayed a particular propensity for cat-based names and, more to the point, inspiration from Western classics.
The ORA Punk Cat is an obvious VW Beetle lookalike with electric drivetrain and trippy interior 12 photos
Photo: Facebook/CarNewsChina
The ORA Punk Cat is an obvious VW Beetle lookalike with electric drivetrain and trippy interiorThe ORA Punk Cat is an obvious VW Beetle lookalike with electric drivetrain and trippy interiorThe ORA Punk Cat is an obvious VW Beetle lookalike with electric drivetrain and trippy interiorThe ORA Punk Cat is an obvious VW Beetle lookalike with electric drivetrain and trippy interiorThe ORA Punk Cat is an obvious VW Beetle lookalike with electric drivetrain and trippy interiorThe ORA Punk Cat is an obvious VW Beetle lookalike with electric drivetrain and trippy interiorThe ORA Punk Cat is an obvious VW Beetle lookalike with electric drivetrain and trippy interiorThe ORA Punk Cat is an obvious VW Beetle lookalike with electric drivetrain and trippy interiorThe ORA Punk Cat is an obvious VW Beetle lookalike with electric drivetrain and trippy interiorThe ORA Punk Cat is an obvious VW Beetle lookalike with electric drivetrain and trippy interiorThe ORA Punk Cat is an obvious VW Beetle lookalike with electric drivetrain and trippy interior
The latest vehicle from the maker, making its official debut at the Auto Shanghai 2021, is no different. It is an all-electric passenger car and, as you can see from a distance, a clear Beetle inspiration. Or “inspiration.” Go ahead and call it a VW Beetle knockoff because you wouldn’t be off the mark.

The buzz around this obvious Beetle lookalike started almost one week ago, and now, with the official reveal at the auto show, has reached its peak. Here is another Chinese knockoff dividing audiences all over the world, even though chances of it ever being exported outside of its home country are slim to none. It has an official name now, too: meet the Punk Cat.

No word on what makes this Cat a “punk” one, but the EV is insane both inside and out. Insane-ly tacky, outrageous, retro, flashy—all these attributes go perfectly with the styling, depending on the viewer’s own taste and inclinations.

So, ORA took a ‘60s-era Volkswagen Beetle, stretched it to accommodate four doors, made it electric, and then glammed it up, renaming it Punk Cat. Inside, there’s a red on white interior with contrasting green, and every available surface trimmed in gold or red. The cabin feels like a trippy retro tribute, save for the two digital displays, one above the steering wheel and a larger one sitting in the middle of the dashboard. It even has parquet-like floor mats, and how often do you happen to read this phrase with a new launch nowadays?

The exterior is more retro and less trippy, with two-tone green and white paint, retro wheels and mirrors, and that decided Beetle look that no amount of flashiness could hide. Not that ORA seems to have been particularly interested in hiding the inspiration for this EV.

The big reveal doesn’t come with the specs of the Punk Cat, but reports in the local media note that it goes into production in late 2021.
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Editor's note: For all the new models launched at the Chinese show this year, check out our extended coverage of Auto Shanghai 2021.

About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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