German Car Zone

Brilliance releases $15k BC3 turbo coupe



click above image for more views of the Brilliance BC3

You probably don't remember this car, but we do. It's the Brilliance BC3, shown to the public for the first time in Geneva last March and now officially on sale in China. The BC3 is somewhat special because it is the first sports car developed entirely in-house by the Chinese automaker, which also plans to export the car to Europe, and maybe even the U.S. There's a lot of crash testing that needs to be done before that happens, but Brilliance has lately picked up its game when it comes to safety.

Pricing will start at just below $15,000 and go up to $21,400. It's powered by a 1.8L turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 170 HP and can be mated with a five-speed standard tranny or four-speed auto. 0-60 MPH comes in a leisurely 9.7 seconds, but we suppose that may be considered fast for those accustomed to the congested streets of Beijing. The styling is actually not that bad and reminds us a bit of the Hyundai Tiburon, like if someone mashed the second- and third-generation Tibs together.

I'm not sure if this is going to attract very much interest here @ GCZ. Also this is in the wrong forum. Brilliance is Chinese so it should be in the "More Asian Cars" section.