This big beauty is the Hongqi L5, the most expensive Chinese car. It costs five million yuan or $760,000. Hongqi, Red Flag, is oldest automaker in China. They are famous for their enormous state limousines and parade cars. The L5 pays respect to this heritage. Design is retro-modern and inspired by the majestic…
… Hongqi CA770 state limousine. The CA770 was manufactured from 1966 to 1981 and only 847 examples were built. All were sold to the Chinese government but today many are in museums and in private hands. The CA770 was powered by a Chrysler-sourced 215 hp 5.6 liter V8 engine.
The Hongqi L5 is aimed at billionaire businessmen and super stars who want to show off their being-Chinese credentials. More than any other local brand Hongqi is closely connected with China as a country, and many Hongqi owners are sincerely proud of that.
The Hongqi L5 is part of the Hongqi L-Series. The first car was the gigantic Hongqi L9 parade car which debuted in 2009. It was followed by the Hongqi L7 in 2012 and finally by the Hongqi L5 in 2013. There are three variants of the L5: one for the government, aparade car, and the civilian version.
The red flag badge on the front fender. The frame is made of metal and the flag is made of glass.
The Hongqi L5 is a giant car; 5.55 meters long, just over two meters wide, 1.5 meters high, and with a wheelbase of 3.4 meters. To put that into perspective: the currentMercedes-Maybach S600 is 5.2 meters long. The L5 is also very heavy, even in this non-armored civilian form. It weighs an incredible 3150 kilo, compared with “just” 2390 kilo for the Mercedes.
The engine that has to move all those kilos is a 6.0 liter V12. Sadly it isn’t very strong. Output is 408 horsepower and 550 Newton meter. Gearbox is a six-speed automatic sending power to all four wheels. Hongqi does not specify top speed and acceleration, likely because it isn’t very fast. Fuel consumption is a mystery as well but bet it drinks a lot. Happily, the fuel tank has a capacity of 105 liter.
The interior is a work of art rose wood panels and cream white leather. The centrally mounted instrument panel is fully digital and measures 15.3 inches. The lower 8-inch touch screen controls the infotainment and various other functions inducing the air conditioning and satellite navigation.
The inner rim of the steering wheel is for the horn. The secret: you have to pull the rim towards you, instead of pushing it away. The system is a nod to the past again; it was just like that on the CA770.
The logo in the middle of the steering wheel is a golden sunflower. In Chinese symbolism the sunflower stands for long life and good luck. Hongqi has been using the symbol for avery long time. There are also small sunflower logos in the center of the wheels.
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