General Motors and its Local Partners Build China's Biggest Test Track

General Motors is pretty serious about maintaining its leading role in China, the world's largest auto market.

On Saturday, September 22, GM and its Chinese partners, which include SAIC, Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, opened the largest automotive proving ground in the country.

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China , GM , Reports , SAIC

Spied: Peugeot Updating Chinese Market 408 Sedan

With the European market in turmoil, Peugeot has every reason to pay more attention to the models it builds and sells in overseas markets like the 408 Sedan, which is an extended-wheelbase, notchback version of the 308 hatch that is offered in China, South America and more recently, in Russia as well.

The spies over at China's Sohu captured some pictures of an undisguised prototype of the facelifted 408 Sedan.

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China , New Cars , Peugeot , Peugeot 4008 , Peugeot Scoops , Scoops

The Manchurian Candidate: Anti-Japan Protests Good News for German Automaker in China

One man’s loss is another man’s gain. That’s the way it has always been and that’s the way it is today, especially in the corporate world.

Case in point: China’s anti-Japan protests, which seem to turn uglier each passing day. Toyota, Nissan and Honda have been forced to shut down their plants after attacks on some of their operations and dealerships.

Nevertheless, Chinese consumers still buy cars. If they shy away from Japanese vehicles, then they will probably turn to other brands from nations with which they have no quarrel.

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China , Mitsubishi , Nissan , Reports , Toyota , Video

So That's How They Lower Their Transport Costs in China…

How many small trucks can you fit on the loading area of full size truck trailer? Well, that depends on who and where you ask that question.

In China, for example, a lorry was filmed carrying a total of 18 trucks (!) spread out in two rows. Now that's what we call being efficient – not to mention being a hazard for the rest of the road users…

A short video follows right after the break.

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China , Offbeat News , Trucks

Japanese Automakers Shut Down their Chinese Plants as Protests Get More Violent [w/Video]

The Anti-Japan protests that have been raging in China for months due to a territorial dispute over some uninhabited islands reached critical mass today, September 18, a date which coincides with the 1931 Japanese invasion of mainland China.

In its latest report, Reuters says that riots in China have reignited by the anniversary and the locals’ anti-Japan feelings are stronger than ever. Protesters have gathered outside the Japanese embassy in Beijing and made their intentions clear, chanting Anti-Japan slogans and holding banners that read things like “Wipe out all Japanese dogs”.

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China , Japan , Reports , Toyota , Video

Toyota and Panasonic's Chinese Facilities Damaged After Anti-Japanese Riots Become More Violent

The consequences of a territorial dispute over a group of islands in the East China Sea seem to become more serious as anti-Japanese sentiments grow stronger in China.

On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda demanded that the Chinese government ensures the safety of Japanese citizens in the country after thousands of protesters took to the roads. Although most of the demonstrations were peaceful, Toyota and Panasonic reported damages caused by fire set in their Qingdao city facilities.

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China , Japan , Reports , Toyota

GM China’s SAIC-GM-Wuling Joint Venture Reaches 1 Million Sales

While General Motor's SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) joint venture in China has sold more than 1 million vehicles before, reaching this milestone at this time of year is a first for the company. In 2011, SGMW sold its 1 millionth vehicle in October.

The automaker said it delivered an average of 3,500 vehicles every day through the first eight months of the year 2012, up 15.2 percent from the same period last year.

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China , GM , Reports , SAIC

Pitiful Insurance Scam has an Unexpected Outcome [Updated]

What begins as another one of those dishonest attempts to fool a road user into thinking (or at least not being able to prove otherwise of his or her innocence) that the driver or rider is to blame for a pedestrian accident and which have been caught on camera, takes a very strange twist.

This incident reportedly occurred on the roads of Honk Kong where we see a motorcycle rider zipping through traffic before he slows down to allow a pedestrian wearing a construction worker's yellow hard hat (you can't say he wasn't being careful for his well-being…) to cross the street.

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Accidents , Asia , China , motorcycles , Offbeat News