It’s a common perception that Chinese brand cars have unwanted “features” such as poor quality and old technology. But things are fast changing, and this latest piece of news is proof. Chinese carmaker Lifan, probably known outside its country as the maker of the “fake MINI”, has hired UK based engineering firm Ricardo to develop a 1.2-litre turbocharged direct injection gasoline engine.
Turbo, DI and 1.2 litres are the same ingredients as those in the Volkswagen Polo’s TSI engine, and this downsizing formula has been proven to be good for both pace and efficiency. While VW’s 1.2 TSI makes a healthy 105 PS and 175 Nm, Lifan is looking at 115 horses and 200 Nm of torque from the new Euro 5 engine, which will go into its 520 compact sedan.
Ricardo is no stranger to collaborating with Chinese companies. Back in 2008, they worked with Chery on hybrid cars for the Beijing Olympics, and in March, signed a deal to provide Great Wall with a modern gasoline engine and a 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
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WAH….very soon china automobile will b the leader of the world…!!!!
Move fast Our lovely P1 …….
they’re progressing at an exponential rate.. unbelieveable la these chinese carmakers. I believe soon they’ll surpass the koreans. by that time the japs will be left behind..
hahahahahaha…. p1 baru je confidence with their window, china dah nak buat diesel turbo…. p1 punya campro turbo, usahkan batang, bulu hidung pun belum nampak.
laa… enjin ni dah nampak ker bro? Campro Turbo proton buat hasil kerjasama dgn Lotus, jadi sedikit sebanyak boleh belajar sendiri.. kalo upah org buat, samapi bila pun takkan pandai…
P1 will roll out tis engine in 2014.
If Proton hire somebody to built their engine, we will see plenty of bashing towards Proton R&D, makan gaji buta etc, etc. China not only hire, they even copy design directly. It’s true that people only see what they choose to see, *sigh*. Well done fan of Lifan.
Actually the Campro engines were build by Proton engineers using Ricardo’s facilities in Brighton UK, I think …… I was there back in 2000.
By P1 engineers or Lotus engineers? Besides that, why built it in UK while paying them British Pound?!? I tot we have an excellent R&D center in Malaysia & thats for what? Now i know where our subsidize money went so much…
The way forward is to hire experts in their fields.
If you harap P1 engineer then sorry bro you’re
living in the 20th century. Merchant bankers
and financial houses get the best people and are
willing to pay whatever it costs to get results.
So you harap P1 engineers to come up with an engine
of their own is like hoping your hen to lay a golden egg !!
P1 also hire foreign drivers for Rally while our own local talents
are forgotten.!! So why the double standard here!!!
Inspira not copy?? :)
Exactly, I’m not against hiring professionals in doing what they are. doing best, I’m just against the bashing Proton gets for doing what other car manufacturers are doing as well ( not only China). Even Volvo uses Ford’s engine, and Proton bought Lotus for R&D colloboration. When Inspira was launched, Proton was criticised, not many view it the same way as whenever China car manufacturer copies cars from other company. Well I hope one day Proton engineers will be sought after and viewed as experts in their field without waiting the poor bird to lay golden eggs.
We have a lot of M’sian that showing love and concern about Proton. That’s the fact for M’sian.
The fear is out there in this Global World when you get a chance to visit Germany, Korea, China, Vietnam, etc… what’s gonna happen another 2 to 5 years down the road?
Who are we supposed to compete with in the near future? Even Indonesian do not need to come to M’sia based on the newspaper today.
What skills and technologies do we have in hand? Car industry for 25 years? So we are so called the expert? Look again…
i aint from the car industry and im not a proton basher and never have been (i truly respect the neo) but honest to go the campro engines are nigh on bad in a practical sort of way….i mean there is no power down low whatsoever and the power rush that comes is nice when u in the mood but is a pain mostly on other occasions….they have the chassis and handling sorted..no doubt about it..but the campro needs a major overhaul or change…hopefully the proposed turbo/supercharging puts an end to this but then again those engines will be surely placed on the premium scale. of things…i dunno if its diffifult to build a new engine family but build they must ……. ..for all its top end drama…its realy underwhelming in every other aspect….
My family and other Malaysians in Brighton and Worthing were so proud of Proton engineers that developed the campro engines. Proton had good R & D facilities to develop car platforms etc but not engines. That was their first foray into car engine manufacturing, so what better than use Ricardo’s facilities at Shoreham by Sea (Brighton). The new campro engine was later send to Lotus I think, to be tested by another group of Proton engineers before being used by Gen 2 in 2005. And by the way they were paid in Ringgit. My mum’s campro 1.3 is about 90 hp, higher than Wira’s 1.5 about 85 hp. thus I think Campro is a good engine and has not fail a beat since using it in 2005.
It’s kinda unfortunate that you are comparing with Wira 1.5.
Do you know that Wira 1.5 auto is with 3 gears?
Now I know why you are so proud…
Even the Campro 1.6 CPS has more horse power (125 hp) than most other 1.6 engines of other makes.