Eh, I'm sure there will be a few clueless Lifan owners who will eventually see a Mini and think it's a ripoff of their car... LOL

 

It doesn't look anything like a Mini. After all, the rear wiper is mounted opposite.

 

Set the Wayback Machine Sherman.......OK Mr Peabody.

 

no matter how many times i see that and then see people's comments... i always wonder what does people see in it that looks like the mini? the chinese have done ALOT worse than this in the past

yeah i can see there's SOME similarities, but not significant enough to say they blatantly copied the mini either

 

WHY??? That's all I have to ask.

 

Why? I may be wrong, but does MINI sell in China? It's just off enough to be disturbing, but it's still a better effort than some of the major manufactures attempt to come up with something as instantly pleasing as the MINI. Most of these craptastic efforts (the Yaris for example) just started with a marketing committee going after "small" and "quirky" and "MINI Killer". At least these guys had the honesty to just try and copy the darn thing as closely as they could without apology.

 

yes, MINI sells in china. what do you think, china's some sort of third world country?

 

Really? you don't see any blatant copying here?

the roof, spoiler, boot handle, fog light and rear "diffuser", wheels . . . nothing rings a bell?

Actually, that whole rear bumper looks like it'll fit on my car

 

I've heard imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but this is one case where I don't want to be flattered! If that pale pink was a shade or two darker, it'd be pepto-bismol pink!!!


EWWWW!

 

You're wrong here mister. Yaris was created waaay before MINI, it just wasn't available in US until recently.
It's actually pretty good car, and cost a hell lot less than MINI too

 

maybe our definition of 'copy' is different... but excuse me while i try to explain

i don't see the black plastic wheel arches
i don't see the roof being a direct copy, the C pillar is far larger here, the B pillar doesn't disappear in the glass, and the mirrors aren't standing on their own
i don't see the wheels being any different than rota copying the famous spoon SW338 and marketing it as the slipstream, or the countless BBS copies out there
the taillights are different
the wing while in profile i can say it looks similar, it sits on a different place and thus, not really a direct copy

in your book then wouldn't the Mazda RX7 a copy of the Porsche 944?
in your book wouldn't the mazda miata be a copy of the lotus elan?

i don't see what's the problem...
a) they are NEVER gonna sell this car here,
b) they merely taken parts off the mini and making it into their own shape... least its just 'borrowing' designs

if you really think THAT's a copy, then please look at this one before saying that is a blatant copy of the mini

or perhaps this one?

and if those hasn't hit the point across, how about this?

hm... maybe im wrong, but arent those just direct copies? don't they make your 'mini clone' pale in terms of the copying?

excuse me while i am being patriotic... i bash chinese goods too, but i don't see that as a direct copy... i mean my people has done ALOT worse, while im on the subject... aren't you being unfair to a nation that has just hit the strides in recent years? i don't hear you complaining the hyundai sonata's tail-lights being ripped cleanly off the previous gen honda accord

as others have said, "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"

 

The first time I saw the pic, I thought to myself, "Something is weird with this Cayenne..."

 

well, the colors arent real since the blue, green and pink photos are photoshops.
so we might as well let that go.

and in all honesty i have seen FAR more worse MINI's on this site alone.
but i'll agree, the Lifan 3 series is blatantly ripping off the MINI. sorry herman

 

Well, we do agree on this:
This is not the first -- or the worst -- case of copying (as you've illustrated). Doesn't, however, justify doing it again.

I think your very weak attempt to find similar copying by non-Chinese manufacturers even highlights why this is much worse:
i.e. a comparison between a miata and lotus . . . clearly different.

 

to each is own... let's just agree to disagree... we all got our own views

oh and eager2own... thanks for calling me lame

 

Give me a break, kyriian, I don't care how patriotic you are, if you don't see that as a copy, you are dillusional. No, it's nothing new. But when you point to such minor things as where the side mirrors are mounted to justify your argument, that's just absurd.....

 

Not sure why you construed my disagreement as to similarities between a miata and a lotus as "calling you lame" -- you shouldn't. As you pointed out, just different opinions.
I will call the Lifan 3 lame, however. kyriian, I like your R53 much better.

 

Anyone know what car is this? I really like it.

 

Daihatsu Trevis. More here.

 

I would buy one in a second. I really would. It retails for something like 7 grand, then you drop another 7 grand into it and there you go. BTW this thread exists in off topic auto as well. this news is SOOOOO old

 

True...but it's like a reoccuring nightmare. Still plenty scary!!!

 

I wonder if it's got the same offset, and 4x100mm pattern.

 

Isn't that the R56 mid-life refresh?

 

It's the "mid-Lifan" refresh.

 

The Lifan 320 - the resulting car-child of 2 MINIs that are first cousins.

Seriously though...ew.