Oh, come on...
China, we're willing your car industry to succeed. We sampled the Haval H9 just last week and enjoyed it, we've lauded your advances in design, and your ability to cram bang-for-buck into your cars.
But, with every good story there's a story like this one.
Pictured is the Eagle EG6330K (I know, rolls off the tongue doesn't it). It's a compact four-door EV hatchback, powered by an electric motor that conjures 5.3hp (3.9kW) — which is less than most mechanical pencils.
Nonetheless it'll eventually hit 60km/h and has a range of 120km. Laughable for those who live out in the sticks, but perfectly fine for those entangled in urban sprawl.
No, this thing isn't hateful because of power output, but because it's quite clearly a rip off of two of BMW's most iconic classic shapes — the Isetta and the 600.
There's an irony here, of course. The original Isetta in the '50s was built under license by a bunch of different groups. BMW just happened to be one of them, though their tweaks (and probably their existing reputation, too) was what launched the little 'bubble car' into the mainstream as one of the most loved cars of the decade.
BMW have over the years been one of the favourites of copy-cat car companies, most notably the X5 SUV and the Mini. But it's one thing to copy a vehicle that's currently being sold by a competitor, and a complete other thing to go through a competitor's history and cherry pick from their greatest hits.
In comparison to the 600 specifically, the Eagle isn't too badly done. The shape of the front bumper and rear vents is almost bang on — a feat that would be impressive if it didn't make a massive mockery of copyright.
The twin nostrils on its face do a good job to mimic the BMWs of old, and the rounded headlights, louvers, and chrome all work together to sort of kind of maybe make it look retro.
There's something weirdly endearing about the car and its completely brazen theft of design.
Perhaps it speaks to the idea of a company unsure it can reach success on its own merits, resulting in 'stealing from the best' so to speak.
Either way, it's daft. And I sort of want to import one.