Beijing 2010: Geely Emgrand GT plug-in hybrid coupe

The Geely Emgrand GT is another example of the automaker's apparent seriousness about being considered a top-flight player in the industry. This coupe features classic sports car proportions and aside from the overdone grille, it looks quite attractive. The GT comes from Geely's new top-level Emgrand sub-brand and boasts some impressive specs. It's reportedly a plug-in hybrid with a 2.4-liter inline-four that churns out 160 horsepower and 165 pound-feet on its own.

That output is supplemented by a pair of 27.5-kilowatt hub motors that give the GT all-wheel-drive capability. Those motors each add 132 foot-pounds of torque as well. It's not clear, however, which axle is being driven by the combustion engine and which gets the motors. The Emgrand GT is targeted for a 2014 introduction.

Beijing 2010: Dongfeng shows off whitewalled, hand-crafted "Hummer"

"Hand-crafted" can be something of a double edged sword in the car business. Rolls-Royces and Aston Martins are hand-made treasures that show off their artisans' decades of experience. The attention to detail is obsessive.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are machines that look like they were haphazardly slapped together by some drunken hack in a toolshed. This Dongfeng "Hummer" falls solidly into the latter category.

The Beijing Motor Show presented our first opportunity to see one up close. Now, love 'em or hate 'em, a real H1 has that genuine military-industrial chic going for it. This vehicle, however, was a hot mess of the first order. The tires had painted-on whitewalls that looked as if they were applied by someone with a five-minute deadline, a paintbrush, and a gallon jug of Wite-Out. Truly, it's something very special to behold.

Beijing 2010: 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan

Along with a refreshed Phaeton, Volkswagen also pulled the satin off a refreshed Tiguan here in Beijing. Like the flagship, the Tiguan has adopted the new corporate horizontal bar grille that we've seen on other recent VWs, including the Mk VI Golf. As near as we can tell, not much else has changed. The new look serves the Tiguan well, giving its face a lower, wider appearance. We're guessing the refresh will hit U.S. shores this fall when the 2011 models arrive.