The Hongqi HQE (红旗HQE) is a large four-door limousine built by

FAW Hongqi Hongqi () is a Chinese luxury car marque owned by the automaker FAW Car Company, itself a subsidiary of FAW Group. Hongqi was launched in 1959, making it the oldest Chinese passenger car marque.About FAW > Key Events First Automobile Works offici ...

. Released in 2009, it is the first Chinese-built V12 cylinder engine-equipped luxury car. As Hongqi's most advanced top-of-the-line vehicle type, the HQE will serve as the high-end vehicle for VIPs and high-ranking national officials. The HQE was designated the presidential vehicle for

paramount leader Paramount leader () is an informal term for the most important political figure in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The paramount leader typically controls the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Liberation Army (PLA), often hol ...

Hu Jintao Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a Chinese politician who served as the 16–17th general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, the 6th president of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 2003 to 2013, an ...

's troop review for the People's Republic of China National Day 60th anniversary celebration. The production model of the HQE is called L7 (short wheel base) and L9 when the mass production began in 2013.

Design

Based on the HQD concept car, the HQE is completely hand-built. The body comprises a rectangular section of galvanized steel with square edged exterior panels mounted on a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado-derived chassis, and the outward appearance and detailing contains aspects of Chinese styling. Dimensionally it is 6.4 meters long, 2.05 meters wide, and 1.72 meters high. The HQE is priced at over 3,000,000 RMB or approximately US$439,300 (as of 2009). An armoured version of the car is also available. The Hongqi was designed at the FAW R&D facility in

Changchun Changchun (, ; ), also romanized as Ch'angch'un, is the capital and largest city of Jilin Province, People's Republic of China. Lying in the center of the Songliao Plain, Changchun is administered as a , comprising 7 districts, 1 county and 3 c ...

. The design team was staffed jointly by FAW and Magna Steyr, and contained members from China, Austria, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Performance

The HQE is powered by an independently researched and developed aluminium

V12 V12 or V-12 may refer to: Aircraft * Mil V-12, a Soviet heavy lift helicopter * Pilatus OV-12, a planned American military utility aircraft * Rockwell XFV-12, an American experimental aircraft project * Škoda-Kauba V12, a Czechoslovak experim ...

cylinder engine of Chinese design (designation CA12VG), with a displacement of 6.0 liters and producing 300 kW (400 hp) at 5600 rpm and 550 Nm (405 lb·ft) of torque at 4400 rpm.

External links

*http://autonews.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1009269/FAW-to-launch-all-new-Hongqi-limo-HQE-in-09.html *http://www.chinacartimes.com/2009/06/22/chairman-hu-to-ride-in-hong-qing-hqe-v12-on-oct-1st/ *http://autonews.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1012408/President-s-car-unveiled-at-National-Day-military-parade.html {{commons category, Hongqi HQD Concept HQE Luxury vehicles Flagship vehicles Full-size vehicles Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Retro-style automobiles Limousines