Reportage: The craziest vehicles at the Shanghai Motor Show 2023
Batmobile and Pampers bombers
Arc Fox Kaola
© press-inform – the press office
There are many spectacular vehicles to see at Auto Shanghai. However, the time of dumb copying of western vehicles is long gone. Chinese automakers are bursting with self-confidence, and they’re showing it: from futuristic Batmobiles to vehicles whose air-conditioning sucks in the smell of pooping babies.
We don’t know if Batman actor Robert Pattinson stopped by the Shanghai Motor Show. If the British actor finds his way into the monstrous halls, the sight of the Karlmann SUV (if that vehicle can still be called that) will have his eyes watering with delight. Because the martial vehicle, optically a mix between stealth bomber and tank, is great for hunting down villains like the Joker or the Riddler. “A new species has arrived on Earth”; says Karlmann. Seems the creator of the imposing Karmann King has outdone himself. However, it should not be cheap to put one of the alien SUVs in the garage. Nothing goes for less than a million US dollars.
Batmobile and Pampers bombers
What the Italian-American carmaker is fine with, the Dongfeng Motor Corporation is only cheap. The Mengshi M-Hero 917 is a brand new battery-electric crossover that looks just as fierce as the Karmann. In addition to the evil eye, the Stromer has a lot to offer: all-wheel drive, 800 kW / 1088 hp, a battery with a capacity of 140 kilowatt hours, which is good for a range of 505 kilometers. However, the vehicle also weighs more than 3.1 tons.
But the extravagant things at the Shanghai Motor Show weren’t just on four wheels. The motorcycle manufacturer Horwin is known to us primarily for its electric scooters. At the home game in Shanghai, the Chinese show with the Senmenti X that they can do things differently. Completely different. The electric two-wheeler has 70 kW / 95 hp, reaches the 100 km/h mark from a standing start in less than four seconds and has a top speed of 200 km/h. The range is more than 400 kilometers.
Who would have thought that a Mercedes V-Class would make its way into the eye catchers of a tour of the trade fair. But the V 260 L SPV with its monster radiator grille, where you don’t know where the struts end and the headlights begin, has earned its place in this hit list with this glittering chrome appearance and Maybach two-tone paintwork. The fact that the interior of the large van is just as luxurious gives substance to the eye-catching appearance.
At the Shanghai Motor Show not only optical chest drumming was announced. In China, childish schemes and bright lollipop colors and the vehicles to go with them are all the rage. We have already raved extensively about the friendly Ora Ballet Cat. At first glance, the ArcFox Kaola is not such a popular vehicle, but the lollipop-lilac-colored van scores with inner values. Because the sliding door vehicle is specially designed for aspiring Chinese middle-class parents. The technology that is in this vehicle is so crazy that we present it here. The digital assistant who takes care of all this is a blue koala bear named Kaola. A camera watches the child in the back seat and detects when they are crying, then plays soothing music.
The child seat is specially designed for the car and can be brought into the reclining position with a flick of the wrist. As you would expect, this seat is also full of technology: a heat sensor detects when the child farts and the air around the seat is immediately sucked in to keep the odor nuisance low. Virus-disinfecting air conditioning and an anti-virus interior using organic antibacterial agents are also part of the Kaola concept. As well as a mercury-free, ultraviolet-active germicidal lamp that covers 99 percent of the area where children and mothers sit.
If the mother approaches the car, the sliding door opens automatically and the seat is turned in this direction. This makes handling the baby easier. A smart box that can either cool or heat the baby food is also on board and holds four bottles. If the mother prefers to breastfeed the child, curtains ensure privacy. But the Kaola also takes care of the adults: The infotainment system reminds you of pregnancy tests, vaccinations or other doctor’s appointments.