To coin the term “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” is clearly evident in some Chinese automotive brands. Take for instance Gotye and its new SR8 SUV. It is a carbon copy of the Porsche Macan. What’s worse is the Macan lookalike will make its debut at the upcoming Beijing Motor Show!
Judging from the leaked images from Car News China, it’s certain that Zotye made little effort on originality as seen with the SR8’s shape, fascia, bumpers, headlights, roof rails and even the interior. However, instead of the Macan’s quad rounded exhaust, the SR8 gets a quad square exhaust design.
The good news is, under the bonnet isn’t a powertrain from Stuttgart. Instead, it’s got a Mitsubishi-sourced 2.0-litre turbo engine that churns 190 hp and 250 Nm of torque mated with either a five-speed manual or six-speed dual clutch auto. For the record, a standard petrol variant Macan is powered by either 249 hp 2.0-litre turbocharged unit or a 400 hp 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo lump.
Being a clone with a much less powerful engine has its benefits, as the 130,000 yuan (RM77,000 based on today’s rates) Zotye SR8 undercuts the cheapest Macan sold in Malaysia by RM343,000! Comparatively, one base Macan can get you the equivalent of five SR8s (all in different colours), but since copyright laws are strict everywhere beyond China, don’t expect to see the SR8 reaching our shores. We don’t, either.
In 2014, Changan Auto and Jiangling Motors Corporation unveiled the Landwind X7, which was a blatant copy of the Range Rover Evoque. That didn’t take long for Jaguar Land Rover to launch a lawsuit against these companies, but Chinese authorities did nothing to stop that. That probably will hint Porsche to not wasting time with a lawsuit.
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