Fiat Group and Guangzhou sign Agreement on China Car and Engine Production

Italy's largest manufacturer, the Fiat Group and China's Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) have signed an agreement for the establishment of a 50/50 joint venture that will produce cars and engines for the Chinese market beginning from the second half of 2011. According to the plan, the two parties will invest more than €400 million (about $560 million US) for the construction of a new, 700,000 square metre plant in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province in south-central China.

The Chinese plant will have an initial production capacity of 140,000 cars and 220,000 engines per year but Fiat said that capacity could be increased to a maximum of 250,000 cars and 300,000 engines annually.

The first model to be launched by the joint venture will be Fiat's C-segment Linea sedan while the first engines to come out of the factory will be the Italian firm's 1.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine in naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms producing 120HP and 150HP respectively.

Fiat said that the industrial project is qualified to receive support from the development plan recently established by the Chinese government to promote new investment in six provinces in central China.

VIDEO: Two Chinese Guys Build a Remote Control BMW 1-Series

If this video is to be believed, An Jiaxuan is an inventor par excellence and an electronics genius to boot. We see him playing around with various (and presumably) self-developed Smartphone apps, including ones that switch the lights and air conditioning on and off and can take a picture from a tripod-mounted camera.

That’s not all, though. Jiaxuan’s next big project is equipping and controlling a full-sized car via remote control. What’s the timeframe for this endeavour? Just twenty days.

With little more than some software development knowhow, a borrowed BMW 1-series hatchback, a Nokia C7 Smartphone and a whole lot of electronic and mechanical components, Jiaxuan makes the impossible a reality. Sure, it could all be a hoax or a viral ad for the C7, but that’s not really the point; this video has some funny moments.

Like when Jiaxuan’s friend asks, “How’s the control? Is it just as good?”

And Jiaxuan replies, “Of course man, it’s gotta be otherwise we’re not gonna be able to get the car to drift.”

It’s that sort of balls-to-the-wall car lover insanity that we at Carscoop adore. Or the final scene in the video, where Jiaxuan’s friend points at an overflying aircraft and says:

“Think you can control that plane up there?”

Looking up at the sky, Jiaxuan answers, “We could try, yah...I think it’ll work.”

Click through for the full video and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Chinese Hybrid Sports Car Mixes Audi R8 and Ferrari Styling Traits

It has come to the point where this blatant copying of Western car designs from Chinese auto manufacturers is getting totally ridiculous. The Tong Jian S11 that was reportedly revealed at the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year but somehow escaped our radars, borrows several styling cues from a number of vehicles including the Audi R8-esque profile and the Ferrari-inspired tail design.

The Tong Jian S11 is said to be a hybrid sports car that presumably combines electric motors with an internal combustion engine. There are no specific details on the car's mechanics nor if it is scheduled to enter production at some point.

Via: Leblogauto & Autoblog.com , Images: Goche Sohu

China Rumors: BMW to Team up with Brilliance and Develop Local Market EV Based on 5-Series

BMW is making plans with its Chinese partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. to develop a new fully electric model designed specifically for the local market, according to Autonews Europe citing a report from the Beijing Youth Daily newspaper.

The report added that the EV will be built on the platform of the current BMW 5-Series, a long-wheel base version of which is assembled at the German firm's plant in Shenyang, China, and that a pre-production concept study will make its world premiere at an auto show in China sometime this year. No other details were given about the electric model.

Transformers Parade in China: Bumblebee Fans Gather in Beijing

It looks like it's going to be the year of the Bumblebee in China. The soon-to-be released Transformers 2 movie 'Revenge of the Fallen' inspired Chinese fans that took to the streets of Beijing over the weekend with a parade of Bumblebee flavored cars of various sorts and types including a VW Santana, a Citroen C4, a Ford Focus and many Chevy Aveo and Cruze models. The somewhat comical parade of random yellow cars with black-stripes was led of course by a 2010 Camaro SS. Follow the jump to check out the pictures.

Source: Autohome , Via: Jalopnik