Chinese Automaker to Import a $13,300 Lotus Sport Car by Year-End

SHANGHAI - September 26, 2007:

Jinhua Neoplan, a subsidiary company of Zhejiang-based automaker Jinhua Youngman, plans to import the Lotus sports car into China at the end of November or even later, local Chinese newspapers reported today.

The model, code named "Racer", will be priced at a little higher than 100,000 yuan (US $13,300) in China and will be produced at Proton's Malaysia plant at present. But Jinhua Neoplan said it may produce the model locally if it sells well in China, the Chongqing-based Changjiang Times said.

Last year, Jinhua Youngman reached a contract with Lotus to develop the four-door sport car, Proton Gen 2, for the Chinese market. As Gen 2 doesn't sound good in Chinese, Jinhua Youngman decided to rename the model.

Technical specifications of the model were also released last month. The model is 4310mm in length and 1725mm in width. It is equipped with Campro 1.6L engine with a maximum horse power of 82 KW and 5-or 4-speed automatic transmission.

Currently there are only two sports car brands available on the Chinese market: one is Hyundai Coupe, priced at 210,000 yuan (US $28,000), and the other is Meirenbao made by homegrown automaker Geely, priced below 100,000 yuan ($13,324).

For more information about the burgeoning auto industry in China please visit http://www.gasgoo.com/Autobiz/list/7/China-News.html