22 June 2007

Zero to World-Class Too Fast

As a prelude to the 2008 summer Olympics, China is really putting on the dog. They're not only building up the required athletic facilities and infrastructure in the immediate Beijing area, but since the world's attention will be on them for months, they are further fortifying their national identity by ramping up other high profile initiatives like aircraft manufacturing and an auto industry. They're building so much stuff, and using so many resources, even the price of copper pipe at my neighborhood hardware store has gone through the ceiling.

Well, good luck to the Chinese with all that, but I'm not going to get into the Olympic spirit by buying a Chinese car anytime soon.

The BS6, as currently constructed, appears to a complete piece of crap. The horrifying 40 mph offset frontal crash test video shows damage that can be described as catastrophic at best. The A-pillar collapses and folds up like a cheap suitcase, forcing the driver's door to pop largely out of its frame, while the lower portion of the car buckles like it's made of recycled pop cans. We wouldn't want to be the driver's legs...or any other part of him for that matter.

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