BMW CEO Fuming Over Chinese Knock-Off Of Popular X5 SUV. (Pics)

CEOSMACK ^ | 8/28/07

[LibWhacker]

BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer is not happy. In a case which proves that nothing is immune to the sleight of hand of Chinese manufacturers and their ability and willingness to clone any product on earth, BMW has been forced to threaten legal action over a cheap knock-off version of their popular X5 SUV.

The Chinese-made SUV which ironically enough is called CEO is almost identical in appearance to BMW’s X5…especially from the rear.

“We have already taken steps against the marketing of the CEO (SUV) in Europe. Should this car be presented at the IAA, we will look into taking further legal steps,” a BMW spokesman said.

Forbes reports that Karl Schloessl, the owner of independent importer China Automobile Deutschland said he knew nothing of the legal action, but said it might well help sales of the model.Schloessl said he is planning to sell the cars at around 100 dealerships in Germany starting in October…again proving there is no shame among the Chinese or the vendors who get rich selling their knock-off merchandise.

The BMW X5 is pictured on the left and the Chinese CEO SUV is on the right.

[DCPatriot]

"...the effin chinks can’t even build a ..."

Is that necessary? Are you proud of that post?

What if Bill O'Reilly used your post. Would you step forward and take a bow?

Shame on you.

[GOP_1900AD]

What I am about to write is extreme but true. When you go to China to manufacture or even sell, you are asking to be couterfeited and knocked off. Even if you are dealing with a reputable EM, or, control your own factory there, people working for you turn over fast, and take the IP to somewhere else. Solution - go back to a de facto embargo. Painful but necessary for this and a whole host of additional reasons, especially the growing China / SCO threat.

[taxed2death]

....sorry.... I should have said effin “COMMUNISTS”....there...more PC. BOR?

hey, this is a no spin zone......LOL I’m sure the mod will come along and delete it shortly...don’t fret.

[JasonC]

Yeah. I recall the Chinese were only making stuffed animals and sneakers and plastic junk for WalMart. Then I looked stuff up, and as of now China makes 1/3 of the world's steel (up from 13% ten years ago - that is when they passed the US, which has gone from 13% to 8% in the same period - I kid you not) and 1/3 of the world's aluminum. Just little things you know, like that.

The closest actual parallel isn't even Japan in the 60s, it is more like the US itself in the 1890s to 1910s. The US passed Britain as the world's leading industrial power first, passed in total econ next, and a generation later in world power. Here's hoping China gets democratic and nice as fast as it gets big.

[L98Fiero]

“Anyway, you have my condolences on the whole Fiero thing!”

LOL! Exactly. :)

[CMailBag]

I always heard that one as a “schoolbus and a pickle”

[Andonius_99]

now just what the hell’s wrong with chewing tobacco and spitting into an empty beer can??? :)

[DCPatriot]

Ask him/her to delete mine #61 too then...to get rid of what I copied.

Cheers!

[JasonC]

See number 64. They aren't competing on quality. They are competing on sheer brawn. And winning, too.

[VOA]

“But you could see incremental improvement in everything the Japanese
did with autos.”

Yes.
The post-WWII Japanese had a number of advantages:
1. understanding of how to build/run a real “hard metal” industry
2. plenty of hungry people that were desperate to succeed
3. the luck of latching onto a quality-control guru...from the USA

To some degree China doesn’t have those factors.
And while they are (relatively) getting rich and fat from selling
junk to the USA...that sort of knocks the wind out of any attempt to
try to build real quality/safety into their autos.

(just my inexpert opinion)

[DCPatriot]

I always heard that one as a “schoolbus and a pickle”

You've piqued my curiosity now...what's the answer???

[-YYZ-]

I can see all sorts of dissimilarities between them.

By this standard Honda should be suing Hyunda for producing a Sonata that looks so similar to my current-model Accord from many angles. You can’t (at least so far, to the best of my knowledge) copyright style. Get bent, BMW, ya bunch of arrogant Germans.

[DCPatriot]

I could recall my late father...a UAW member...always ragging on toys or products with "Made in Japan" on them.

If he were alive today to see what the Japanese did to his domestic auto industry's standing in the market, he'd flip out.

[taxed2death]

My civility goes out the window when I work on a high quality photo paper attachment for a very large and reputable US corporation...then said corporation takes beautifully functioning prototype and ships it and the blueprints off to China.....where three months later a shipment is sent back with 3000 of these instruments that have been made cheaper, sleazier and very carelessly. Now they shred high quality photo paper. Marketing is trying to figure out how to sell them as such (shredders).

If it’s made in China, it’s crap.
/rant over

[PAR35]

The ChiCom car actually looks, from the rear, more like the Lexus I was behind a little while ago (although the tail lights are different). Did you even look at the pictures showing the rear bumpers before you said they looked alike? Hint: the BMW is the one without the indention for the license plate and the cow catcher underneath. And the taillights are not similar at all (and BMW did a much better job on that design element.)

Come on. If you saw the two cars parked side by side in a lot, would you think it was the same model?

[dashing doofus]

If he were alive today to see what the Japanese did to his domestic auto industry's standing in the market, he'd flip out.

I'd say Detroit, the UAW, and management did it to themselves. If they lose the light truck market, American vehicles will go the way of American TV sets.

[4CJ]

The rear window is different, the tailights are different, as are the door panels, quarter-panels, the rear wiper, the rear bumper etc.

[DCPatriot]

I excuse them and call it 'growing pains'.

Talk about a sleeping giant...if they every adopt the immediate-post Pearl Harbor attitude Americans industry enjoyed.

[wolfcreek]

Won’t catch me in either. One’s too expensive for my taste and the other...............Chinese

[Sicon]

now just what the hell’s wrong with chewing tobacco and spitting into an empty beer can??? :)

Not a thing, actually - it just fits the stereotype I was shooting for.

At least you didn't ask what's wrong with taking your cousin on a date!