China’s version of the Mini Cooper may have already been built with the car around £20,000 cheaper than the actual thing. The Lifan 320 was an old hatchback produced in China that bears an almost identical resemblance to the iconic British classic.
The Lifan 320 was produced in China for four years with a production run between 2008 and 2012. Sales began in 2009 with distribution even making it as far as Russia under a different name. Lifan’s model could be purchased for around 48,800 yuan, translating to approximately $7,142 or £5,260.
With modern brand new MINI’s starting from around the £24,995 mark, the Lifan is clearly much more affordable.
Second-hand MINI’s are still priced at around £10,000 on the used car market making it unattainable for those on a budget.
Despite looking almost identical to the classic MINI design, Lifan vehemently claimed their model could not be considered a copycat.
At the time, a spokesman told Autocar: “Yes, we know of the similarities, but this is an independent design of our own work.
“I think that perhaps the management of Lifan and Mini shares some ideals that have drawn them to this very classical and fashionable shape.”
The Lifan 320 was fitted with a 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a five-speed gearbox also installed.
The model could reach 0 to 62mph in 14.5 seconds with the model able to reach a top speed of 96mph.
In an apparent bid to boost sales for the Lifan, the car was even entered into the China Rally Championship (CRC) in 2008.