New Geely GE Limo is Rolls-Royce Phantom Clone?!

Geely has revealed photos of the new “Phantom clone” for the Chinese market called GE limo. The 17.5-foot long executive mover comes loaded for bear, with isolation glass and wool carpet just like a real Rolls-Royce. This and others auto-clones we should be expecting to see at the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show that runs from April 20.

Among the throng of new cars and concept studies that Geely is preparing to pass to Shanghai is the GE, a tender for a high-end limousine that looks like the outcome of a 10-year-old scheming a Rolls-Royce Phantom. According to the Chinese site, when compared to the Phantom, the Geely GE “gives the very same feeling of luxury.”  However, distinct the British luxury vehicle, the 5.3-meter long GE does not get suicide rear doors while unusually enough, the car’s interior has a 2+1 places arrangement, with the rear passenger receiving the noble healing.

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The new Geely GE luxury sedan unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show. With its gigantic, upright waterfall grille, boxy proportions, Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, and LED starlight headliner, it didn’t take an enthusiast’s eye to see that Geely is openly aping the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Of course, the development hasn’t been sitting well with Rolls-Royce officials, who promptly got on the horn to their lawyers after clapping their eyes on the GE. While the British luxury firm has stopped short of saying they intend to sue, according to an article in the U.K. Telegraph, a Rolls-Royce spokesman admits “Rolls-Royce is currently keeping its options open and is in consultation with its legal advisers.”

At an estimated £30,000 – around $44k USD – for the GE (versus £250,000/$365k for the Phantom), it could be argued that few are likely to confuse the two vehicles, but even still, critics argue that Roller would appear to have a compelling case that cars like the GE are not only intellectual property theft, but that they could also serve to erode brand equity of the genuine article.

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