Are you an aspiring dictator? Do you lead a Communist nation that likes the color red? If you’ve been answering YES! to all of these questions with much fervor, we can calm you down by telling you the Hong Qi L9 is heading your way.
The L9 is the civilian version of the state sedan that Hu Jin Tao used in 2009′s 60th day celebration where the then Chairman Hu Jin Tao stood inside and inspected the People’s Liberation Army’s finest men and women. Whilst Old Hu had a bullet proof version and a handy platform and hand rail combo, the civilian version will have to make do without. The good news is that the civilian version is considerably lighter thanks to the lack of bullet proof and bomb proof materials used in the construction as well as a shorter body.
The L9 measures in at (LxWxH) 5555/2018/1578mm and has a wheelbase of 3435mm, in comparison Hu Jin Tao’s model was well over 6 meters long. The self developed 6.0 liter V12 engine producing 300 kW (400 hp) at 5600 rpm and 550 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm.
Pricing is supposedly set at 5 million RMB or 800,000USD. A comparable Bentley Mulsanne starts at 5.8 million RMB and a Rolls Royce Phantom at 6.58 million, so the L9 could be considered a bargain. A mid 2013 launch is expected, but don’t expect to see these in China anytime soon, we suspect that they will be given as gifts to favored countries, and if they are sold in China we bet they wont be available at your local Besturn dealership alongside those 120,000RMB Besturn’s.
These cars are absolutely awesome. I always thought this looked like a 55 Chevy (at least from the front) although after doing a little research I found out that they were based on a 55 Chrysler. Too bad that other manufacturers do not build cars that looked like something out of the 50s (Chevy HHR, Chrysler PT cruisers and the Plymouth Prowler do not count.)
It would be a great article to compare Obama’s “Beast” Cadillac Limo vs. this monster. Perhaps the secret service will let you guys borrow one for the comparison.
Erik at Chinese Cars has already had a sit in the Chairmen version of the L9…. Toyota Prado chassis apparently – for that version anyway.
Looks like a cross between a whore house and an outside dunny! Tacky and crappy!
I have seen and also sat in the other Toyota based model Politburo model-give me the Toymota anyday!
Austin Tatious hasnt a patch on this absurdity~~!!
It’s posts like this that make surfing so much palsuere