Remember my China Pirates post? Those amazing engineers from China have done it again, this time with a clone of the smart fortwo, not so much of an complete engineering clone with matching doors but more of a complete rip-off of the concept. This Chinese smart fortwo is a front engined, front wheel drive vehicle instead of the smart fortwo’s rear engine, rear wheel drive layout.
They even went as far as to copy the Tridion Safety Cell design, but I doubt there is an actual Safety Cell incorporated into the chassis, it is likely just a design element to make it look more similiar to the smart fortwo than it would look like without the “safety cell”. Even the interior is somewhat similiar, but not exactly the same.
Amazing eh? You’ve seen what happens to a real smart fortwo in an accident, complete with Tridion Safety Cell and all sorts of funky crash protection engineering, but would you risk your life in this similiarly sized car with no knowledge on it’s chassis’ capabilities in an accident?
More photos after the jump.
Related Posts:
smart fortwo crash test vs a Mercedes Benz S-Class
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
How much of a space it have that it could fit 4 people? It surely does not have crumple zone, but it surely can crumple the people in it…
Wow, its a 4-person coffin with rollers…
0-hell in merely 0 second… applies to not only the buyers/passengers, but also to the engineers as well…
if they are keeping themselves of copying others, somehow the other will find their way to snipe those copycats to death…
wow… look at d rear seat.. i wonder who on earth wanna b thr.. n hope safety is focussed as a car like tis, passenger may be its crumple zone..
sigh….. which brand will it be… it comes with a 4 seater though.. interesting… the dash looks really similar to Smart ForTwo… damn Chinese automakers..
ooops…they done it again
the rear bumper looks like myvi..xcsuxhahxx
japan used to be copy cat like china before they reach their current state. but everyone said japan good now.
At least their R & C (Research & Copy) better than Proton R & T (Research & Taruh) kao kao sahaja : D
Quite unbelievable how the Chinese can copy and built them so similar to the originals, without getting in trouble! What's more unbelievable is that there's ACTUALLY buyers for these! Can't say it's a bad looking car though…
wow Pian!
What are they doing?
Look at the Hazard light button in front of the sterrling wheel?
That was years ago design and it appear today!??
NO SUBSTANCES Works
Yes, Jap may be copy cat, they pay attentions at details and refine their worksmanship in their products.
Have any one seem QQ?
I tested drive in Sing, u go showroom and expected at least quality CAR sample inside.
Guess wat?
The worksmanship suck! ending coming out from the edge.
Poor add on….
Sign…. that is just a cover without SOUL product.
Hav a say on quality?
juz look at the steering wheel, the badge is gone, that's observable enuff…
So typical of China. Blatant copycats with no regard for intellectual property or copyright or whatsoever. When it boils down to really designing a car from scratch, you'd get the Ultraman-inspired FengYin. Enough said.
i'm not surprised. hey, they even copied the american F-16 recently.
The only rip off part is the exterior design imho, not really the whole concept or mechanical layout. I don't really see a lot of problems in this, Korean cars has been ripping off European designs for a while now.
spoilt d image of smartfortwo… wat? å°è´µæ—?
amazingly pathetic
This is a rampant problem in China as they are not so advance on IP law (Intellectual Property). This hinders the west from investing in China because there is no law to protect their products being ripped off by the locals themselves. Point in example, fake good like LV bags etc etc.
If the local authorities are not willing to help the west in protecting their IP and going to a Court of law in china doesn't really help, i think this trend would continue.
I don't want to see it again.
Hey! did you guyz realize it? the highest RPM for this vehicle is only 7000, yet the top speed is 220!!! WTF ??!! then what engine inside that so powerful ah?!
Original version is called "SMART FOR TWO" (Engine at the back)
I think this CHINESE clone should be called as "DUMMIES FOR TWO ＋１"
(engine at the front)
WHY?
Because Super Mini car is not GOOD with FRONT engine layout, it will result lower energy absorbing possibility at Frontal impact. You can imagine when this model crash in front to a sedan or Bus the engine will FLY into the carbin and hit the driver and passangers directly. Just like the BOWLING, …..STRIKE…….all pins fall down at the same time. In other words, with or without AIRBAG does no matter on this model. Buying this car is like making yourself and your passengers be acted like DUMMIES. Prepared for CRASH tests any time……
Very interesting to see how this model performed at Crash tests. Paul, can you find more information on it?
YUCKS. China.. land of rip offs… try this junk on a Euro Crash Test.. see what happens to it.. or rather.. what happens to the dummy in it. prata
And all these years you think Proton is bad?…
ok, then again… you get what you paid for. I wonder how much does this car cost. Perhaps a quarter of the Smart car? RM100k+ for the dang small car is outrageous! Anyway, I don't think there's much difference in result between a Kancil crash test and this. It might even be cheaper than the Kancil.
rosdi said,
January 26, 2007 @ 1:21 pm
And all these years you think Proton is bad?…
=============================================
Yes and I still think they are bad. Improving(at a bloody slow pace) but still bad.
at least improving. but yeah, at a very slow pace
rosdi said,
January 26, 2007 @ 1:21 pm
And all these years you think Proton is bad?…
another malaysian who r not sensitive to quality issue..
pity u la,man.
read the new bout proton dipping sales.
the article did highlight y the sales dropped.
do u know u tengku djan spend most of his time racing?
his dad oredi kena tendang from proton
dat y ex-PM marah, his kroni wot…
nyway, now proton have R3 division (tuning)
hopefully they launched more R3 products.
so no more taking from evo spare sparts.
hehehe
Good effort by the Chinese…
The Smart ForTwo is the legendary car for our modern era. Small car with big impact, very good. It like the pace of the old Mini. The Chinese admit it, they know it. Just copy the design, make it their own. Of course the price will tremendously goes down. The price that match the spec!
But, they should copy the Smart ForFour rather than ForTwo.
I wonder if local manufacturer do this. Put the price below than Kancil, i'm the first to book it. I should make it as a car for sipping cup of 'teh tarik' with roti canai every evening, go for leisure, as examples. It's easy to find a parking too. Fun and practical like a bike, but with many car-like features. Wise.
When it goes small, make it simple, make it practical with reasonable price. The rich can get the original expensive of Smart.
The Pirates of Chinese was built it. Malaysian? Just see it.
Truth be said, it's because of the lack of IP enforcement which is why the world is flocking to China. Just the other day came by a claimed BMW speciallist work shop (in KL) and was darned surprised to see them doing major repairs including diagnostics on a mini cooper, an E90 (new 5-Series) and E64 (new 6). The man said he gets his not so legal BMW source codes including updates from a BMW dealer cousin of his in China. I believe him.
Aren't the rear lights stolen from the Hyundai Trajet??? Wow, the Chinese are SOOOO creative… Even the colour scheme is exactly thr same…. SO SAD!
ahhh the chinese did it again. i wonder when will they ever learn not to copy ppls idea or design. not only cars but everything!!!!!!! take a look around a supermarket…u see everything with weird brand name and u might mistaken it for another brand that u know of. Again at least Proton doesnt copy off ppl..
I don't know bout you guys… but I think a nice "copy-cat" car will sell better than an all original ugly car. Marketing point of view, a success. That's why most ppl will stick to RM8 a piece DVD instead of RM100+ a piece even thought the higher end one will most definately be trouble free.
ummm… what's with the rim? The PCD is definately not right for the rim design! hahaha…
the chinese are so pathetic…crap, i am chinese…
copy is bad and respectful, ……..but this lil, is a good city shopping roundabout, quite a boot space, if not seat at least after throwing the engine to the front,,,,
copy is bad and disrespectful, ……..but this lil, is a good city shopping roundabout, quite a boot space, if not seat at least after throwing the engine to the front,,,,
Does this China Smart For Two pass any crashing test?
Pirates Of China, look quite good… Wonder if closer look on it..the material nice or not… ?
Wonder will our gov allow the import of this car.
If they do, means they are supporting pirates.
Means they should allow pirated DVD as well.
ha ha…… I wonder……
I thought DaimlerChrysler was selling off the Smart brand. There was news that the Smart Roadster would be produced by Nanjing as the new MG Midget, with some small changes.
cannot saaman those companies?
some press in china said this car may just sale 25k yuan or about RM12k,
and it had pass the chinese crash test.
if sale in malaysia less than RM20K, sure will sale one.
well, i don mind to own one… if its a free one for me…
hey, found this car crash test pictures with 50km/h hitting.
http://www.autohome.com.cn/news/200701/17569.html
I don't mind to own one if it is similar price as Kancil too. haha
http://www.autohome.com.cn/market/200701/17686-4….
aiyah, i can read chinese lor.
can som1 summarize 4 me,pls?
we r among top movie pirate in d world,u know dat?
malaysia boleh…
some vcd n dvd copying machine with valid license have been found to be involved in this syndicate (read it in d news ages ago).
if not 4 them, where 2 get cheap vcd n dvd?
sometime the censorship board r bunch of morons…
we have the rating so implement it..
opss, out of topic plak….
soree
ok, let me voluntary translate some of the information there, only a few parts….
1) its powered by a 0.8L engine similar to the one found in Chery QQ, and another variant is 1.1L engine with DOHC, with multipoint fuel injection, from Bosch (memang cetak rompak Smart punya nih…)
2) this car has large full tank, FC is 4L/100km, one full tank can go nearly 1000km (wow, can fight D-Max liaw…)
3) it has pass QC test in China with 50km/h crash test….
KY: what do you mean they didnt rip off the whole concept? the exterior design, the two seats, the size for ease of parking? isn't that the whole concept of the smart fortwo?
He he he… Just wonder, will Naza bring in this model to Malaysia. Smart ass … Coffinfortwo… Anybody dare to buy? of course Malaysian like tamannegara will buy one just to commit suicide….. I don't trust China authority.. Too corrupted. If this model is available here in Malaysia, I think our car accident ranking will rise from third to first laaaa Surekecoh!!! Malaysia Boleh!!!!
if this makes is serious copy cat, then it would come with some kind of Tridion shell… (i mean the copy cat version of Tridion shell….may be weaker version)
still i think its shell would much stronger than a Kancil…. Kelisa…..
or Myvi ? need to tried out one first….
If they can bring it in and sell it below 20K, there will be a market for this. By the way BMW used to copy design wholesale from British Austin, the word "Jerry built" was a term to describe cheap and low quality German products befire WW1. And now….
wei!
they juz copy blindly everything seyh..
back on those days i remember how they copy the motocycle design..
sigh..now it's 4 wheel's turn..
no akta hakcipta ka kt sana?
stupid china,always pirating others product.i think they would pirate proton in the future..why not?..
(again, this time with a clone of the smart fortwo, not so much of an complete engineering clone with matching doors but more of a complete rip-off of the concept.
)
complete rip-off the concept?
i though when we said copy or clone, we are talking about enginnering clone.
so if the smart fortwo is the first to come out the concept for the two,
than other maker must pay the fee for them to come out the same
concept car for two person?
and i think many sport car also design for two person only,
isn't smart fortwo not the first to had this for two concept?
i just confuse, any one can explain?
Paul Tan said,
(KY: what do you mean they didnt rip off the whole concept? the exterior design, the two seats, the size for ease of parking? isn’t that the whole concept of the smart fortwo?)
concept with the small size for the ease of parking?
isn't kancil also use this small size concept for the ease of
parking?
just like we said the car concept for four, with four wheel?
so, rip off the same concept is illegal?
the smart fortwo takes the ease of parking city car concept further, supposedly in the space that you can park one car, you can park TWO smart fortwos. can you park two kancils in the space of one car?
i had already stated that this is not so much of an engineering clone but more of a concept clone, cos the concept and outlook is copied but not the engineering.
agree.. whatever the arguement.. open your eyes..
who's in their sane mine would say this is NOT a blatant rip-off?
if they 'terror', try la build car with similar dimension (HxWxL) to the smartfortwo… see how it will turn out.
Chinese are smart for everything…They will make it to be number ONE eventually…Although the quality is not up to our expectation, they are improving because of their openess, competitiveness, and ceratinly the smartest way to be successful. Malu eh.. Proton !!! Malaysia tak boleh!!!
PGlang: what you said about comparing proton to china car makers is pretty narrowminded..
unlike china, malaysia respects international law, and we do enforce IP laws.. yes.. true, we have a large market for pirated products in malaysia, but not as large as many other asian countries.. but more importantly, there is visible enforcement. if our govt. does not care about it, there will be no enforcement at all.
at the very least.. i'm still proud that proton took the hard way to design and build their own car.. not everything worked out fine and dandy, but at least they didnt have to resort to blatant copying. Its because of amount of time and money spent to build up a credible manufacturing business and R&D facility, there are now several large foreign companies who want to buy into proton. If there is no value there as many people on this forum claim, these large companies wouldn't even bother to come here, and put in a bid.
eh..
how come all negative comment on china product>>??
the advancement of china in any field definitely will affect malaysian in many ways…
..such as plasma tv,import from jap or taiwan rm6k n above for the 42″…rm1899 ..china make.
so…soon or later,we malaysian simply cannot resist n heavily rely on china make product..from finger nail snapper to car engine spare part…
ai…i m just a bit worry abt malaysian nak buat apa to make a living in near future.