While Russia is only discussing the creation of its own limousine for top leadership and plans to use a foreign base for this, Chinese manufacturers have long established the production of a whole range of cars for officials of various levels. This topic is particularly relevant due to the fact that since 2014, civil servants in China have been prohibited from purchasing foreign cars with budget funds.
"Red Flag" is the most famous Chinese limousine, which does not even need special "plates" (license plates), because it is simply not available for free sale. Even the characteristics of this car are kept in the strictest secrecy.
The "Red Flag" has three modifications: L5, L7, and L9. They differ in engine power, body length, and level of equipment. About the L9 model, it is known that under the hood it has a twelve-cylinder engine with a power of 476 horsepower. The price of such a car is 1.2 million dollars. The production of the limousine for the party elite is carried out by the FAW Group concern.
Another luxury model for officials of a slightly lower rank also bears the name Hongqi ("Red Flag"), but it is built on the Toyota Crown platform and is positioned as a local replacement for German Mercedes, Audi, and BMW. There is no secrecy around this car, and it can be bought for an amount from 45 to 70 thousand dollars.
Even cheaper will be the Chinese likeness of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, which Geely has put into production under the modest name GE. Its price starts from 44 thousand dollars. The resemblance to the original is so great that even the figurine on the hood, although slightly different, has the same wings as the famous "Spirit of Ecstasy".
Against the background of these models, the promising luxury crossover Haval H8, which should go on sale by the end of this year, looks like a rather modest vehicle designed for minor officials from the provinces (in Soviet times, such people drove UAZs). This car should become a competitor to the Toyota Land Cruiser. Prices for the Haval H8 range from 25,400 to 32,500 dollars.
For those who value speed and are not ready to put up with production sports cars, China also has its own alternative, and it is not cheap. The Icona Volcano coupe from Icona Shanghai is equipped with a hybrid power plant, the total power of which reaches 950 horsepower.
The Volcano accelerates from zero to hundred in just 3 seconds, and the maximum speed is 350 km/h. This supercar was produced in just a few copies, each of which was sold for about 2 million euros.
