Mad stuff from the Beijing motor show you might've missed

Are these Chinese cars you'd actually want to drive?

Maybe. Possibly more weird is the totally opposite ends of the spectrum these vehicles represent. It seems the Chinese have a huge taste for all things electrified and autonomous, but also ancient underpowered off-road monsters…

Regardless, I kind of want to get behind the wheel of almost all of them, just to see what they’re like.

HongQi E-Jing GT Concept

We reckon the rear of this thing looks great.

Half Maybach concept, half Rolls-via-Bentley, all kind of fascinating. HongQi is one of China’s most premium domestic brands, holding the honour of producing the official state car, the L5.

Sadly, it probably won't have a V12.

The E-Jing GT Concept is touted to run an electric drivetrain (goodbye, sweet Mercedes-derived V12 that sits in the L5…) and, if it’s anything like their current flagships, will cost a small fortune if it ever makes it to production.

Qiantu K50

Original designs in China? Since when?

We still might think that truly desirable designs in mass-produced cars out of China are not quite here yet, but some cars like this one are a beacon of original design. It might not be particularly ground breaking or even entirely good looking, but it’s damn sure a step in the right direction.

Even the interior looks promising.

The K50 is a coupe or roaster powered by electric motors that give it a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 4.6 seconds and an electric range of 365km too.

Beijing Auto BJ80 6x6

Totally-not-a-G-Wagen (image credit: Autohome)

Does anyone really need six wheels, four doors and a tray for a daily driver? The answer is almost certainly no. But yet, the Mercedes-AMG 6x6 exists and now here we are, with a Beijing auto version I’m sure nobody asked for.

To boot, this awkward looking thing is reportedly powered by a Saab (remember how China bought Saab…) four-cylinder 2.3-litre engine giving a whopping 350Nm of torque…

Man, this thing looks awkward... Do Daimler execs just turn a blind eye? (image credit: Autohome)

Interestingly it’s hard to call this car a rip-off of the Benz version, as Beijing Auto (aka BAIC) is Daimler’s trading partner in China… So, did Daimler know? Is this a cheeky rip-off or a co-development? Is this where the original G-Class tooling has ended up? Who knows.

Haval Wey X

The X is a fully electric vehicle with coupe-like styling, two large doors, a low roofline, small glasshouse and high waistline.

Here’s a car you can drive with your face.

Well, not quite. But Haval’s premium arm, Wey reckons this very colourful SUV will premiere future technology like ‘full biometric recognition’ and even a creepy Blade-Runner-2049-esque holographic assistant. I won’t be fully sold until it makes me an “Earl Grey, hot”, though.

3D holographic assistant acts as an automotive Siri of the future.

You’ll note the lack of a steering wheel, instead the Wey X will drive itself with the ‘skills of a highly trained human driver’ or whatever. And, you guessed it, the Wey X will be fully electric - no specs yet.

USSV G.Patton Super SUV

They should have called it the Compensator 6800.

Yes, that is the actual name of this thing. It’s a big machine with a bigger identity crisis. Manufacturer ‘US Special Vehicles’ is a California-based company, with the (very American) G.Patton branding reserved for China. This becomes incredibly evident when you visit its clearly Google-translated website.

There's a built in coffee machine to go with your awkward trim bits.

The massive truck is based on a Ford F450 chassis and is powered by a 6.8-litre petrol V10 (yeah, no diesel) that produces just over 260kW and 620Nm. Not hugely impressive, but also not a 2.3-litre Saab engine so that’s something. Also, the four-seater variant of this car has a built-in coffee machine – Can’t argue with that.

Which of these wacky Chinese creations would you like to get behind the wheel of? Let us know in the comments.