Roewe 450 Spyshot

It looks very similar to a Roewe 550, but is apparently smaller and comes with Zebra pattern instead of Checker pattern paintwork...

I presume it's a saloon - it looks very similar to the 550 to the point where you'd imagine having problems differentiating them.

How strange that that Chinese numberplate looks like an unusual (tester's?) Koblenz one. I've learnt another Chinese numberplate!

Unless the zebra pattern means you only get it in Kenya.

Is that the Nürburgring? (not far from Koblenz - checks what the local reg. would be) (The Ring is in the Ahrweiler district - AW - but Koblenz is perhaps the nearest big town, only some 40 miles away...)

What facilities does SAIC have in Germany to run these tests, I wonder? Karmann is the only place I remember them holding talks with, and they're miles away in Osnabrück...

I did look at the rain and think, that's not China, looks more like the Nurburgring before I checked the plate! The 550s were spotted there during development, taken over by Ricardo 2010 so it does fit. I did wonder if this was one of those old pictures but I don't remember them having Zebra stripes, they always had their grills covered and the boot on this does appear smaller and a different shape.

Someone will find one of those old photos now, showing Zebra stripes...

Windy wrote:I did look at the rain and think, that's not China, looks more like the Nurburgring before I checked the plate! The 550s were spotted there during development, taken over by Ricardo 2010 so it does fit. I did wonder if this was one of those old pictures but I don't remember them having Zebra stripes, they always had their grills covered and the boot on this does appear smaller and a different shape.

Someone will find one of those old photos now, showing Zebra stripes...

yes, I remember the 750 being tested at the Ring. Definitely "chessboard" not "Expo 2000" ...

The Ricardo 550s would have had UK plates though, why does this have Koblenz plates

That Expo patern would look brilliant done properly and in the right colours

Windy wrote:That Expo patern would look brilliant done properly and in the right colours

well, here's Kraftwerk's single. Like the 2012 Olympics, the logo was designed to be produced in different colours - but without the baggage of looking like Lisa Simpson being lewd.





Get this: it's now TEN YEARS since the run-up to the Minelli-um! Seems like, um, 1000 years! ( as long as the time from 1933 to 1943 so far!)

an update:

1) I understand those are fairly certain to be "red" trade plates, only issued to dealers or manufacturers. (why does SAIC get Koblenz ones?)

2) Apparently trade plates are not allowed on the Nürburgring, so it can't be there!

Incidentally a US (?) brake company with links to Lucas, TRW, has its German base in Koblenz and supplied equipment for the 750.

Here is an autotranslated link (it's too late to translate it properly!)

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trw.de%2Fnewsmain%2F0%2C3195%2C2_20_424%255E3%255E424%255E424%2C00.html&sl=de&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

patpending wrote:
2) Apparently trade plates are not allowed on the Nürburgring, so it can't be there!

Would that only apply to public days, don't they also have some manufacture days?

Windy wrote:

patpending wrote:
2) Apparently trade plates are not allowed on the Nürburgring, so it can't be there!

Would that only apply to public days, don't they also have some manufacture days?

Sounds like a question for The_Stig. You know which one I mean!

NB I just googled for that plate. I found one post. By myself. In German!

patpending wrote:

Windy wrote:

patpending wrote:
2) Apparently trade plates are not allowed on the Nürburgring, so it can't be there!

Would that only apply to public days, don't they also have some manufacture days?

Sounds like a question for The_Stig. You know which one I mean!

NB I just googled for that plate. I found one post. By myself. In German!

What was the car identified as?

I'm thinking it has been mis-identified and is infact an MG6 in Roewe 550 clothing and a little extra padding...

An MG6 should spend time at the Nurburgring...

Ahh - Found it!!!

But my German isn't very good, only good enough to see the conversation mentions a new MG ZS!

patpending wrote:an update:

1) I understand those are fairly certain to be "red" trade plates, only issued to dealers or manufacturers. (why does SAIC get Koblenz ones?)

2) Apparently trade plates are not allowed on the Nürburgring, so it can't be there!

Here it is with a different red plate, try identifying this one then:


It is just an early Rowe 550 in testing.

Windy wrote:

me wrote:NB I just googled for that plate. I found one post. By myself. In German!

What was the car identified as?

I'm thinking it has been mis-identified and is infact an MG6 in Roewe 550 clothing and a little extra padding...

An MG6 should spend time at the Nurburgring...

well, I identified it as a Roewe 450 because I believe everything you write.

Don't recognise that plate, but I'm going to check what a Chilean plate looks like...

The ZS is The_Stig's new car. He's been after a British one but now he's just bought a German one...

NB I like the idea of manufacturer days where the manufacturers aren't allowed to run their cars on their own "trade plates"

Windy wrote:Here it is with a different red plate, try identifying this one then:


It is just an early Rowe 550 in testing.

well, I'm going on a round-the-world trip with http://www.pl8s.com/ - I'm in Africa now!

Right - I give up. I'd be tempted to say "French" if it ended with a number, or perhaps Spanish or Belgian.

I like this:

Central African Republic.

Name of country: Central African Republic.

Location of country: Central Africa. (Duh!)

patpending wrote:...

Right - I give up. I'd be tempted to say "French" if it ended with a number, or perhaps Spanish or Belgian.

Alternatively, I might check whether the link is from www . motorspain.com!

How about Australia?
I found another pic of it passing eucalyptus trees!

Windy wrote:How about Australia?
I found another pic of it passing eucalyptus trees!

what are the grey blobs on the right of the numberplate as we look at it? they don't appear to be holding the plate on, because there aren't any on the other side.

Looking at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_Australia, it doesn't seem to be a standard Australian plate. Anyway, he's not read the message "Drive on the Left"(!)

Not enough detail there to tell what they are!

I think I'll just stick to this other Roewe from the same article, the plates are so much easier!
Although the badges don't look like Roewe badges and the article seems to lack some accuracy, this vehicle is expected at the Shanghai Auto Show.






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