You could know of Hongqi, the luxurious automobile arm of FAW and the oldest automotive model in China, with an extended historical past of manufacturing automobile for state leaders and dignitaries. You might also know concerning the L5, the corporate’s flagship, which turned well-known regionally when the primary second-generation unit was gifted to the present Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar.
However its continued rarity and the actual fact it’s solely bought in China signifies that the automobile, now referred to as the Guoli (Chinese language for “nationwide present”), stays a curio for these residing outdoors the Center Kingdom. Which is why it could come as a shock to know {that a} used unit reportedly broke the file for the only costliest Chinese language export, altering palms for a cool 11 million yuan (RM6.5 million).
In accordance with Automobile Information China, the automobile, exported from Erdos in China to the United Arab Emirates, was bought by Stanislav Semenov – founder and CEO of the Dubai-based quantitative buying and selling agency Eqvilent – having preordered the automobile at Auto Shanghai in April. Model new, the automobile has an official retail worth of seven.18 million yuan (RM4.2 million), though the unit that was exported was the personalized one-off Lanting Yayun, which can undoubtedly have value extra.
The Guoli sits on the high of Hongqi’s Golden Sunflower vary of high-end automobiles and the previous-generation mannequin was the experience of selection for president Xi Jinping – he has since stepped as much as the even larger N701, constructed only for him. That’s to not say that the automobile is in any method small: at 5,980 mm lengthy, 2,090 mm huge and 1,710 mm tall, it’s nearly precisely the identical size because the Rolls-Royce Phantom Prolonged.
The marginally twee retro design is supposed to copy its first automobiles, with spherical headlights, a big chrome entrance grille, an upright glasshouse, thick C-pillars and vertical taillights flanking a boot lid with chrome strips. The retractable and illuminated bonnet decoration is tilted at 23.5 levels, which is similar to the Earth’s axial tilt. It’s mentioned to be pointing in the direction of Polaris, the north star.
Inside, the extravagance continues, each by way of tech – there’s a 12.3-inch digital instrument show, an enormous 16.2-inch infotainment touchscreen and an augmented-reality head-up show – and the opulence. The aforementioned centre display screen, as an illustration, rises up from the dashboard like a scroll unfurling, and also you additionally get deep pile carpets and inexperienced lacquered trim made to appear like jade. There are additionally 14-way power-adjustable entrance seats with heating, reminiscence and therapeutic massage capabilities.
However in fact, the rear is the place it’s at, with 16-way energy adjustment to match the 16 audio system, together with four-way powered headrest adjustment and a one-touch recline operate. The bosses on the again additionally get their very own vainness mirrors, curtains and rear windscreen sunshade. Acoustic glass throughout and energetic noise cancellation guarantee near-total silence all through.
Semenov’s Lanting Yayun was impressed by the Orchid Pavilion Gathering of 353 CE, completed in blue with a silver bonnet, roof and boot lid and rolling on 21-inch polished chrome wheels.
Inside, the lacquered trim is as an alternative colored blue to imitate Ru kiln porcelain, whereas the entrance passenger sprint storage lid, C-pillar decor and rear centre console trim have been painted to breed scenes of the aforementioned gathering, with the storage lid additionally inlaid with gold foil. In the meantime, the headlining options Rolls-Royce-style hand-laid “starlight” illumination.
Energy comes from a 4.0 litre twin-turbocharged V8 that produces 381 PS and 530 Nm of torque, despatched to all 4 wheels by way of an eight-speed computerized gearbox. Regardless of all this energy, the Guoli’s scarcely-believable 3,150 kg kerb weigt signifies that it takes a full 7.9 seconds to get from zero to 100 km/h, on its strategy to a high pace of 220 km/h.
GALLERY: Hongqi L5 (Guoli) delivered to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar
Seeking to promote your automobile? Promote it with Carro.
