Skip advert
Advertisement

2011 Shanghai motor show gallery

The weird and the wonderful cars and concepts from China's premier motor show

The 14th biennial Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition may not naturally figure against the headline motor shows of Geneva and Frankfurt, but with the unprecedented growth of the world’s biggest car market as a manufacturing and consumer power, it is rapidly becoming one of the most important. To that end, besides the wacky Chinese concepts from the infant home-grown marques, there is a great deal on display at Shanghai which is important to the western car market. The Chinese market, as is well known, favours large, luxury cars, but with as small an engine as possible due to extortionate taxes applied to large capacity imports. Therefore the Chinese market is tailoring exactly to the modern needs of the luxury car industry, in maintaining prestige while simultaneously reducing emissions and consumption. Upmarket crossovers and saloons with frugal hybrid powertrains have been seen from Citroen’s DS5 to Audi’s A3 e-tron. At the other end of the scale, and demonstrating the vast (and lucrative) disparity in Chinese buying habits, Rolls Royce, Ferrari and Bugatti have all exhibited the latest versions of their flagship models, to great interest and acclaim. There’s also evidence of the giant leaps made by once-ridiculed Chinese manufacturers. European levels of build quality and safety are yet to be confirmed but the vast majority look fresh, conventional and viable as consumer products. Expect this to signal the start of a trend, which takes China right to the fore of world auto-manufacturing superpowers.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Subaru XV concept news and pictures

Mazda CX-5 news and pictures

All-new VW Beetle news and pictures

Citroen DS5 news and pictures

Peugeot SxC news and pictures

Audi Q3 SUV news and pictures

Rolls-Royce Mini Cooper S news and pictures

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Aston Martin Vantage (1993 - 2000) review – Britain's 550bhp hand-built muscle car
Aston Martin Vantage V550 – front
Reviews

Aston Martin Vantage (1993 - 2000) review – Britain's 550bhp hand-built muscle car

One of Aston Martin's last true hand-built models, the ludicrous twin-supercharged Vantage was a muscle car crossed with a stately home
24 Apr 2025
Porsche 911 Carrera S 2025 review – a 473bhp BMW M4 CS fighter
Porsche 911 Carrera S – pictures
Reviews

Porsche 911 Carrera S 2025 review – a 473bhp BMW M4 CS fighter

A new Carrera S has arrived with supercar-baiting pace and a £120k starting price – is it the sweet spot of the 992.2 range?
25 Apr 2025
Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 2025 review – 'N0' tyre makes Porsche GT3 RS a wet weather weapon
Michelin GT3 RS tyre
Reviews

Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 2025 review – 'N0' tyre makes Porsche GT3 RS a wet weather weapon

Michelin has developed a wet and cold weather tyre for the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and it’s brilliant
23 Apr 2025