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      12-06-2011, 04:50 AM   #23
utfenix335i
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Drives: 2007 E92 335i; 2015 X5 50i
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I just came back from China (in fact that's the reason why I'm awake so early in the morning) and I find the article fairly accurate. By far, my counts reveals that Beijing had more Audis, VWs, and Hyundais (by far the most I saw) in Beijing. In Chongqing, more Buicks, Chevys, and Suzukis (the city has a contract with the company to build low cost, clean energy cars for taxi cabs). Shanghai has considerably less Audis but a more variety of cars. In fact, I saw my first M3 in China there.

From what I've heard from tour guides, Audi, VW, Mercedes Benz, GM (Buick and Chevy), and Suzuki have factories in China. Korean and Japanese car companies are only a short boat ride across the East China Sea. It's easy to see why China has such a big car market. However, I learned the last emperor of China wasn't interested in cars because it forced the emperor to sit behind the driver, which was not cool by the emperors. It's because of this that the Chinese car companies are behind foreign car companies. Kinda a silly reason to me.

Anyway, that's my two bits on Chinese Automotive industry.
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