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Forget Ferrari, The $803,300 Red Flag L5 Is The New Must-Have Car In China
For the wealthy Chinese with 5 million Yuan (around $800,000) burning a hole in their pocket, there is a new must-have 'toy'. Instead of the latest Ferrari or Lambo, it is none other than the provocatively named "Red Flag L5" that is popping eyeballs and leaving the wealthy Chinese breathless...
Forget Ferraris. Someone paid at least 5 million yuan ($803,300) to buy a Chinese car.
China FAW Group Corp. began taking orders for the tailor-made Red Flag L5, the nation’s most expensive vehicle, with the first one sold to a customer in Nanjing, the automaker said in a statement today at the Beijing auto show. Delivery will take three months, said the buyer, Wang Zhonghua, who runs a company that operates a chain of furniture malls in China.
FAW produces the Red Flag luxury vehicles used by government officials and also makes Volkswagen AG (VOW)’s Audi cars in China as its local manufacturing partner. Formerly called First Automotive Works, which was started by the Communist Party as a linchpin of China’s industrial policy, the company is seeking to capitalize on a government campaign to buy local brands.
For the price of a Red Flag L5, one can buy a Ferrari FF in China, according to Cheshi.com, an auto pricing website.
Are the Chinese shifting from decadent flashiness to understated luxury... in an effort to hide the graft? Or does this odd looking vehicle lay golden eggs, come with a happy ending, and exhaust unicorn tears?
Goregous? Inside...
and out?
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More importantly.. Yahoo news top weekend stories : Kim Kardashian wears pink jumpsuit
Where do I get one of those one way tickets to Mars?
Mr. Pink Jumpsuit?
BOOOOOOO!!!!!
Good grief! Designed in the 1950s; built in the 21st century.
Made popular by the Green Hornet, looks like. And the old series at that.
Must have been designed in North Korea
All it needs are BIG FINS!
And fender skirts!
And why does that front end remind me of Bender from Futurama (Brought to You In Living Color!)??
I had always wondered what ever happened to Eisenhower's car.
Pelosimobile
UGGGG--LLYYYY!
I guess there is no law against talking on the cell phone while driving in China, because as one can clearly see in the last photo, the driver is calling someone (his loan broker?) while driving this expensive automobile.
You guys are missing the point. It is not how the car looks.
It will however increase your driving skills by a factor of 8.
pods
Yu wan ka? Yu a lichi lichi mo ni? Ai se lyu led fu lag!
Lol no expense spared on that interior. Save a bunch of money and pick up one of these instead:
http://www.caranddriver.com/photo-gallery/2014-mercedes-benz-s63-amg-pho...
It's like a Zil and a Bently had a love child
The front is definately Hillman Minx, the rest of it straight Bently copy.
Looks shite, sorry, but it does...
These used to come free in a box of rice candy...
fractal car commentopedia...
http://aadivaahan.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/my-take-on-cars/
The clock is sweet...
"Good grief! Designed in the 1950s; built in the 21st century."
It appears to be a 55 Studebaker, with the finest of plastic interiors.
the problem with there being so many blogs and content aggregators these days is that you keep seeing April Fools joke press releases turned into news stories throughout the whole month of April (e.g. Nike's cork shoes).
then something like this comes along and you can't tell if it's real or just a very late April Fools joke.
they should keep their day jobs,
being slaves.
Peak greater fool?
Ugly as shit. Looks like an old Checker POS taxi cab. They used to call them Sputniks...
Kudos for remembering the Hillman! There was even a company that specialised in tuning those sorry heaps, can't recall their name for the llfe of me. Of course, related to Hillman was Humber (at least once all part of Rootes) - remember the Sceptre and Super Snipe? Such car-isma!
But it must weight 5 tons...nothing for Greens and global warming fighters...even if 5 cows issue more greenhouse gases...
chinas secret goal is to destroy the earth before india.
OK own up, who the hell downvoted this?
lol @ idiots with cell phones in their ear when their cars have hands-free support... proof once again that people only do that to look "important" in their cars while they're driving
here's a hint to those idiots that like to do that...
- if you were really important, you wouldn't be driving, someone would be driving for you
- even if someone were driving for you, your secretary would be in the car taking calls for you if you were truly important
fucking new money, no class at all
He could be using his free hand to cover his shameful face being caught on camera driving this thing.
Uhh, not everyone drives a new car...
Early 90's Chrysler product with just a hint of 50's Nash Metropolitan and certainly the reliability of a Yugo. Or...that POS is the same price as an original 427 AC Cobra. Let's run one through the Mecom auction and see just what she brings. LOL
Fate the Magnificent
"Push the Button, Max
You will know what's in it after you buy it. For $800K, one should hope it comes with a "Fully Equipted" back seat.
But you don't understand. These ones will be worth more on the second hand market. They also come with the "rehypothecated collateral" option package. It's an investment I tells ya!
Didn't the last Ukrainian Prez have one of these in his collection?
It's good to see Third World folks buying million dollar cars. Before long, they'll be buying $3-$5 million dollar houses in Kalifornia!
...oh, wait....
The luxury Lada. Ugh.
No.. It's a Trabant!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXBDBe6zf_A
The Chinese need to learn how to market luxury cars...
http://www.coupay.com/topoften/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Rolls-Royce-Ph...
It looks like a Fiat 124.
No way. Looks like a slight update on the 1960s Opal designs that were so forward thinking. Where do I put my money down?
Thank God the Edsel has finally been redeemed!
Kinda did for the Edsel what Obama did for Carter.
It's all about contrast....
It looks like a toyota.....with a Bugati pricetag... I guess the Chinese are not that bright...
the new rich have always been funny in their spending.
This is how every GM car will look like in 30 years. Central planning can do more damage than you think.
No. They will all look like those gay electric golf carts all the hipsters drive now.
Pried one out of the grill of my Wrangler Rubicon this morning with a toothpick. Gulped it down with one bite.
For kommunist retro revival the Volga v12 is the king.
http://www.autoreview.ru/new_site/year2001/n08/volga/volga.htm
The Red Flag looks like a turd.. a very expensive turd.
Trabant knockoff
The more thngs change the more....
... they are insane...
banger
YES!! It is Bender.....couldn't place the face at first though...
kiss my shiny metal ass...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WqecnJ7hb0
Thanks dudes!
Love that video!
Hey, I resemble that remark! :>D
Looks like a Soviet ZIL.
RED FLAG? Come on now!
Don't go dissing the Zil!
I said it "looks", I said nothing about performance.
Was going to say an East-German Trabi with the back of a Chrysler town and country.
What an ugly piece of shit. 2-stroke?
I don't get it. The car looks quite ugly to me.
I thought these were eliminated in the great Permian Extinction. Some must have survived.
It's...
1/4th 1980 Russian Lada,
1/4th 1958 Chevy,
1/4th 1994 Rolls Royce,
1/4th ________....I can't put my finger on that last 1/4th!!!
in fairness to our Chinese brothers....the point isn't that this car leaves you almost speachless in a not so wonderful way. The point is, the Chinese are attempting to satisfy their own domestic demand with their own domestic products. They aren't good at this....but my guess, is that they'll get better with time. As they do, they will need less $US Dollars, to buy foreign "stuff" to satisfy their domestic appetite for "cool" stuff.
THAT is the critical, long term, relevant take away from this article because that is what will chip away at the US Dollar.
Saw this earlier and my first thought was hmmm, 1955-56 era. I'm guessing some Chinese hacker looking to steal designs got punked by the boyz in the Cadillac division. Note the tiny analog clock and single headlamps. Pwned bigtime. Red Flag is right. BFRF. 803 K? ROTFLMAO.
And the old addage holds true, money can't buy taste.
Looks like a 1980's Zil limosuine with rounded headlights.
http://motorsfolia.com/imgs/zil/zil-41047/zil-41047-04.jpg
Seriously WTF are these guys smoking ... $800K for that???
It looks like the're taking our POS monopoly away from us.
The Chinese K Car ... or maybe Aztek
Hey Silver Rhino - "Seriously WTF are these guys smoking ... $800K for that??? "
I don't know what they are smoking but I'll have an ounce!
China's answer to the Edsel
Gentlemen I give you the Homer!
http://laughingsquid.com/the-homer-car-a-real-life-version-of-homer-simp...
ROFLMAO!!
This looks like a bad psychedellic dream of some late 60s metal reincarnated with some later-day technology.
I will have bad dreams tonight.
Jay-Z will undoubtedly make a Gucci edition...
Government Motors.
It is plainly visible that all of the stolen car designs have culminated in this one vehicle..
Stupid is as stupid does...........
I'm pretty sure this is the result of mating an old Chevy Nova and a 1970 Mercedes 300SEL.
I'm selling pre-orders for the Red Flag L6. Just give me a down payment of $500,000 and I'll deliver a brand new L6 within the next five years for only a balance of $100,000 more, payable when I deliver the car.
If I fail to make delivery, I will deliver three brand new 2019 BMW 750s, fully loaded.
And what could be a better name than, "Red Flag"? What are they going to call next year's model - The Jalopy? The Pit-Stop? The Lemon?
How about "Dragon Eternal Super-Fast?"
Take a Chrysler 300 to a East LA custom car shop and 30 days later... Wha-la....
It's "voila."
In this case, I think it's "voirah"
Hey McMolotov!
Don't you insult my '70 Nova like that!
It would rip your ears off on the quarter mile!
It was a drug induced abortion prior to term.
The inside is early 1970's Fiat. Good god what were they thinking?
What's the buyer thinking? Apparently Chinese optics are quite different than anyone else on the planet; unless it turns out that Koreans think this is a really neat car.
On the plus side you will never be accused of compensating for a small penis when driving one.
It's China, FFS. That's the last thing anyone there would even dare try & pull off - even they realize some stereotypes ring true.
No way, the 'Cedes had good front curves and double the lights.
Looks like an older Ford Fairlane contributed some genes as well!
Now, I don't care what you say, that is one FUGLY car, at ANY price.
Double plus true. I'd be embarrassed to give it away.
Peak Lunacy !!
Luxury Cadre car? Looks a bit like a datsun roadster.
Makes me think of the Toyota Century. I never understood the appeal. Would rather have the Ferrari FF any day.
The FF, pronounced F - F - Ah, is the best car ever made. The Italians just need to work a bit on the paint and fit but what do you want when you spend 400k for the fabulous drive-train and the body is free.
The Ferrari will also get you laid a lot more than this automotive travesty. On second thought, anything will get you laid more than this. A Smart Car will make it positively rain pussy compared to this. On third thought, maybe China is different and this geezermobile makes you look manly and virile over there?
Seriously, just looking at this thing makes me feel sad. Sad because I know some nouveau riche idiots are going to spend money on this, and I feel like there should be an intervention for them.
I'm not so sure about that. It definitely says the driver has more money than good sense...an easy mark...fake boobs and heavy eyeliner should do the trick.
Best comment so far ,Zerozen. I laughed so hard that I thought I was going to need a heimlich maneuver as I ate dinner.
That grille is too die for.
No... The hood ornament!
Looks like it came off a 50's Hudson maybe??
And the analog clock in the middle of the center console.
Stole it from the Porsche Panamera. For some reason I don't think it is a stop watch though.
How many of those buttons to you think actually work or do anything? I suspect the most advanced technology is that the car has ten cigarette lighters front and back for the chain smoking Chinese men.
It looks like they may have stolen the clock from the Russian Zil; if they made a good copy it'll run for about a month, and then never again. Too weird.
Wow, must be that if something is ugly eunogh is is beautiful again.
All it needs is sand on the floor, and I'd let my cat shit in it!
Doesn't it look like one of those old Soviet era cars?
"Pobeda" comes to mind. Nowhere as expensive, but is associated with the political elite nonetheless. A family friend bought one near the time of the collapse of the USSR. Maintains it and has it running to this day. The interior resembles a mechanical typewriter. The radio is the kind that cars here in the US had in the 50's. Beautiful collector's item.
80s/90s rear Caddy, 60s front end, new model from the ground up Chinese made. What could go wrong? Still copying the competition and apparently trowing stuff from the parts box at random.
Looks like it was designed in 1972! Does it run on nuclear fusion energy and fly?
It's actually all very simple: outside it's a near-copy of the "limousines" that were used to drive around USSR and Chi-Com party elite.
the new "capitalist elite" wants to look like the "old" party elite
In China, status or "face" is everything. The mere fact that this car makes a statement in China is the reason it will sell well, not because it is some technological or luxury marvel. It probably makes a statement to the government, as well. Political connections to the Communist Party are still very valuable.
There is also a 100% tariff on all imported cars with very few exceptions. Protectionism is rampant in China.
It says a lot about a person, to spend that much on something that ugly. Almost like trying to prove how rich or bad ass you are that looks don't count. My first wooden gocart had better lines than this thing.
But will it, or anybody inside it, survive a crash against a Smart car?
Is this what the fascists will drive? Biofuel from obese humans? Or pig fat? Not attractive at all...what's in the trunk? Any anti mob features just in case?
You could give me one, I still wouldn't drive it.. Like an Edsel fucked a Beatle bus and produced this abortion..
Ban L5's...for the children.
Can't stand drivin anymore unless it's remote.
I have never seen such an ugly car! Just what does one get for $800k? Looks like a cross between a 1960s Austin and a 1990s Cadillac. Horrid....
Obama can't afford it...thats what counts for the Li's and Yi's
Add a pointy plastic extension to the headlight cover and it will become majorly trendy.
Looks like a Trabant on steroids. The interior is a joke. A $20K Hyundai looks richer.
I've been more impressed by a Ford Taurus dashboard. What is that, velvet?
+1 for Coming to America reference!
I was going to post that.
Compare http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Trabant_601_Mulhouse_FRA_001.JPG
+100 It reminds me of Soviet 1960's era cars. Interior looks like my 10 year old Chrysler. Maybe
they used silver for the frame.
The Green Hornet would be, well, green with envy.
Maybe this is why the Chinese billionaire bailed. He was shown one of these in a glitzy private showing and he came to the conclusion that the Chinese have gone full retard.
Piece of Chit!
Good thing we don't step in it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY7ZX6ngOSs
AWESOME...now we know who to target for removal in China! Death panels for all the bullshit corrupt wealthy!
I'm lost for words, the rest of us should be thankful that there are so many stupid fuckers in this world, without them the competition would be a lot tougher.
Over priced AMC.
its fucking ugly
Looks like SAIC bought and shipped over the geriatric designers of this old Austin too
understated luxury?
That is an vast understatement of an understatment!
Good to know they included the 5-year maintenance cost onto a $30k Chinese made car.
Do those headlights also double up as machine guns?
All it needs is a Fast& Furious fin on the back and it will be a pimpin machine
Does it go underwater?
Yep, 2 months off the showroom floor and the value is underwater $450,000....
If a Kennedy is driving it does.
Comes with an internal smog to O2 converter for the cabin, bird flu decontamination filter so you can drive without wearing a mask, and all wheel drive so you can go over piles of dead pigs that have been left after the river flood waters recede.
The front is a 1958 Wolseley and the grid is made from a recycled braai grid that someone left on a beach (look it up). The back flips up to reveal sleeping accommodation for 12 persons and a small but stylish karaoke bar
usually I could give a shit less about this kind of thing but damn, that is one ugly automobile.
Kinda looks like a modern take on the Chevy Bel Air . Its more interesting to me that culturally, in China, this is considered to be "Hot".
Kinda looks like a modern take on the Chevy Bel Air . Its more interesting to me that culturally, in China, this is considered to be "Hot".
The analog clock in the dash doesn't look like it fits in the bezel properly. Is this article from the Onion?
Does it come with 5 Pussies?
I think it seats six.
Seven if you use the trunk, Jersey style.
All you can eat buffet.
I'll take the Lamborghini, thanks.
WTF are they buying here? They like this anachronism with a red and yellow horn button? Probably has 4 lug rims to boot.
With design hints stolen from Cadillac, Chrysler, Studebaker, Nash Rambler and Borgward, this new Chinese entry into the auto world.....