‘My car is like a tractor’: China buyers pay US$3,200 for fake Porsche full of problems like faulty handbrakes, noisy engines causing much hilarity online

However, there were subtle differences in the vehicle branding.

For example, the English lettering inside the Porsche logo was changed to the pinyin words xin neng yuan, which means “new energy”. A deer in the replica car also replaced the famed Porsche horse in the logo.

The buyers, most of whom live in Henan province in central China, said they bought the car after they were convinced by a live-streaming event selling the automobiles.

During the live-stream, one hostess said: “This Da Ka Yan is a premier electric vehicle. It looks magnificent and only costs a bit over 20,000 yuan. Moreover, you do not need a driver’s licence to use it.”

After receiving the cars, the buyers found a lot of problems when they tried to drive them.

Some said the car would continue to move after they pulled the handbrake, while others said their electric-petrol hybrid vehicle would run out of juice after very short distances.

Most of the vehicles did not have safety belts, and their fuel tank could only hold several litres of petrol.

“I felt so embarrassed after an electric bike driver helped me tow my Da Ka Yan home after it stopped three times in the middle of the road. I only drove it for less than 40km,” a woman, surnamed Wen, said in the video report.

The woman added that the car’s engine vibrated aggressively and made loud noises.

“My car is like a tractor,” said Wen. “I don’t feel safe when driving this car. It has too many safety hazards.”

A man, surnamed Wang, who lives in northern China’s Hebei province, said he was stopped by police, and the vehicle was impounded the first day he took it out for a spin.

“The officer reprimanded me for having no driving licence, and he said my car plates were illegal. The car factory has installed the plate, and they were already attached to the car when I received it,” said Wang.

The buyers said operators would hang up the phone immediately when they tried to call the numbers provided to complain about the flaws. Their messages on WeChat were also ignored.

In the report on Henan TV, an employee, unaware she was being recorded, admitted that the company had fabricated the vehicle standard certifications.

“We sell 30 to 50 of our cars every day. Our larger factories sell about 100 a day,” she said.

Besides Porsche, the reporter also discovered counterfeits of other car brands, such as Tesla and Land Rover. The vehicles had already been manufactured and were ready to be shipped to buyers across China.

The news of the knockoff cars soon became a hot topic on social media in mainland China.

“I admire them for their courage to buy a ‘high-end car’ at this low price,” one person said.

Another said: “Oh God, grandpas and grandmas in rural China are all driving luxury vehicles. What a scene!”

Finally, a third suggested: “The authorities should crack down on those factories to prevent more people from being swindled.”