2023 BMW i7
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I have heard over and over again from people that the new 7 looks like a Rolls Royce, including from my wife, I see it too. When you put them side by side, obviously it doesnt look like a RR, but when you see it alone it definitely has RR vibes.
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To be fair, I can't blame the designer here- this is all on the tastes of the Chinese market, which is the 7's target audience. That Hongqi I posted earlier? Designed by Giles Taylor, former head of Rolls Royce design.
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And surprise surprise, the Chinese market loves huge ugly overbites on their flagship sedans too.
Last edited by Motorola; Apr 24, 2022 at 03:15 PM.
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When you put them side by side, obviously it doesnt look like a RR, but when you see it alone it definitely has RR vibes.
i don't see any "RR vibes" whatsoever. i think it looks absolutely terrible, with its only distinctiveness being a ridiculous and unnecessary front design and overhang.
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Uh, people who have seen the pictures...which are posted here? 
Nobody will be fooled lol, but there are a lot of people out there who like the profile of a Rolls Royce, and this will appeal to them on that basis.
Lots of people do though, I have come across it on multiple forums, facebook comments, and like I said it was the first thing my wife said when she saw the pictures. Like Motorola said its the tall upright sedan-ness of it. A Rolls Royce is almost SUV tall despite being a sedan.
if bmw can fool people into thinking their customers are driving a rolls royce, good for them. people actually buying one or the other won't be fooled.
i don't see any "RR vibes" whatsoever. i think it looks absolutely terrible, with its only distinctiveness being a ridiculous and unnecessary front design and overhang.
Hongqi is believed to have a major technical partner lined up as part of its world push. One rumour says it is Lexus; it has certainly used some Lexus petrol engines in previous models.
and...
Taylor tells Life & Leisure at the Frankfurt Motor Show that the company has the goal of being the No. 1 luxury brand in China, ahead of the Europeans, and to spread out from there. He says younger customers in China, many of them with extreme wealth, are very keen to buy a local product, but acceptance in the West will take time.
A forthcoming flagship will carry a Rolls-Royce price tag but will be a very different vehicle.
“We are not going to copy a Western aesthetic,” says Taylor. “The Hongqi brand is the oldest and most luxurious in China. The artistic culture of [the country], whether it’s woods, leather, jade, silks … ancient sculpture, fashion, calligraphy … there is a beautiful, rich, crafted history that has to form the backbone of any Hongqi at the pinnacle. We will use those elements in a way that is beautiful and elegant and will attract people in their own right.”
Taylor is more than confident that the company can realise its lofty ambitions. “I can feel the energy.”
A forthcoming flagship will carry a Rolls-Royce price tag but will be a very different vehicle.
“We are not going to copy a Western aesthetic,” says Taylor. “The Hongqi brand is the oldest and most luxurious in China. The artistic culture of [the country], whether it’s woods, leather, jade, silks … ancient sculpture, fashion, calligraphy … there is a beautiful, rich, crafted history that has to form the backbone of any Hongqi at the pinnacle. We will use those elements in a way that is beautiful and elegant and will attract people in their own right.”
Taylor is more than confident that the company can realise its lofty ambitions. “I can feel the energy.”
Last edited by bitkahuna; Apr 24, 2022 at 03:32 PM.
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Whats interesting is it LOOKS tall, but its really not that tall. Its 60.8 inches tall, and a W223 is 59.3 so 1.5 inches taller. RR Phantom is 65 inches tall. For the record my Pacifica is 69.9 inches tall, that shows you how tall a RR is.
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It's the same height as the RR Ghost. The Phantom is taller by virtue of being a much longer car.
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They actually had a partnership with Toyota and made their own version of the Crown some years back:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hongqi_H7
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hongqi_H7
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That's what I mean as well, side by side yeah no. But on its own it has that vibe.