Ford to launch facelifted Mondeo until global Mondeo

Ford is reportedly preparing to launch a subtle facelift for its European-market Mondeo sedan, but according to reports, this will be the last Mondeo revision before the new model – Ford's third new global product – hits the streets in 2014.

The interim Mondeo, pictured in the leaked photo on the right, will receive some minor adjustments to its appearance and specifications in an effort to keep it fresh, like the new Galaxy and S-Max minivans, until the new model arrives.

The next-gen Mondeo, however, will join the Fiesta and the new Focus as Ford's third new global car, replacing the Mondeo overseas and the Fusion in the North American market. According to reports, the new Mondeo/Fusion is being developed in the United States for expected simultaneous manufacturing – with few adjustments to local tastes – in the U.S., Europe and China.

Chinese Tuner Builds Ferrari Enzo Wannabe Replica Based on Geely Coupe

Chinese Tuner Builds Ferrari Enzo Wannabe Replica Based on Geely Coupe

You'd expect that a Ferrari replica from China, a country where the automotive industry has turned European and Japanese car cloning into a science, would at least be presentable. Because what you are seeing pictured above is just a computer-generated image of what the tuner hoped his modified Geely coupe would resemble. If your taste buds (and stomach) can handle it, click through to see the end result...

Via: Gaibar

Roewe's Sharp Looking N1 Compact Sedan Debuts in Shanghai

Roewe's Sharp Looking N1 Compact Sedan Debuts in Shanghai

Now here's a proposal from China that could very well be accepted in terms of styling from Western car buyers. SAIC's renamed Rover division, Roewe, that owns the tooling rights to the Rover 75 and 25, unveiled the N1 Concept car at the Shanghai Auto Show. The N1 is in essence a thinly disguised version of the planned production model that is set to go on sale in China next year. The compact-sized sedan that will sit below the 550 in Roewe's vehicle line-up will be offered with various four-cylinder gasoline engines.

Shanghai Clone Wars: Landwind X8 vs Mitsubishi Outlander

Shanghai Clone Wars: Landwind X8 vs Mitsubishi Outlander

There are clones and there are clones. While some come pretty close such as Lifan Motors' effort to give birth to a five-door MINI Cooper, other like Jiangling Motors's Landwind X8 that made its debut at the Shanghai Show this week, is a dead ringer for Mitsubishi's Outlander. For those of you with a weak memory, China's Landwind became known for being the first Chinese automaker to enter the European market with the SUV that spectacularly failed a crash test carried out by the ADAC, Germany's largest auto club.

And it's not only the exterior design of the Outlander that has been copied, it's also the interior as the X8 gets the same exact dashboard styling with the deep set instrument panel featuring the two circular tube-like structures.

But you still haven't heard the best part of the story; according to the Landwind, the X8 will be offered with two engines: a common-rail turbo diesel from Italy's VM Motori that develops 140HP and 350Nm of torque and -get this- a Mitshubishi sourced, 2.4-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with 150HP!

Sales of the Landwind X8 are to start in China during the second half of the year.

Mitsubishi Outlander SUV

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Landwind X8 SUV

Porsche Panamera: Live Photos from Shanghai Auto Show

Porsche Panamera: Live Photos from Shanghai Auto Show

Pride of place on Porsche's stand is the new Panamera sports saloon that made its world premiere today at the Shanghai Auto Show. The five-door model that can seat up to four-passengers will compete head on with Aston Martin's forthcoming Rapide and the Maserati Quattroporte. The Panamera, which was penned by Saab's former chief designer Michael Mauer -now you know who to blame- will be initially offered with two 4.8-liter V8 engines producing 400 and 500HP. Sales are set to begin in most markets in the fall of 2009.

Shanghai Show: Brilliance FRV goes Cross-dressing

Shanghai Show: Brilliance FRV goes Cross-dressing

What we have here is a faux-crossover version of Brilliance Motors' FRV hatchback that was unveiled along with a new sedan variant of the car at the Shanghai Auto Show. Just like any modern wannabe crossover, the FRV Cross' body shell has been bolstered with lashings of protective plastic add-ons and matt aluminum underbody skid trays along with a set of roof rails and newly designed alloy wheels, but that about sums it up.

Chinese customers and quite possibly, Europeans in the very near future, will be able to choose from two four cylinder gasoline engines with a displacement of 1.3- and 1.6-liters that deliver an output of 85 and 100 horsepower respectively.

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