The 2024 Beijing Auto Show is reminiscent of the glory days of international motor shows, featuring a myriad of reveals from affordable production cars to fantastic concepts and high-performance supercars. Between the hundreds of domestic Chinese brands vying for space in an ever-crowded market and foreign brands trying to cash in on high demand, there are more new car launches than any sane person can keep track of. But lucky for you, we’ve been devoting most of our waking hours to thinking about cars, and we’ve rounded up some of the most important cars you might have missed from this week’s extravaganza in Beijing.
Concept MG EXE181
This aerodynamic, futuristic rocket comes from MG, the famous British sports car manufacturer now owned by China’s SAIC Motor. This incredibly low-slung hypercar concept pays homage to the EX181, a streamlined experiment that set a land speed record, reaching 254 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1959 with F1 racer Phil Hill behind the wheel. The modern new interpretation has a drag coefficient of just 0.181 and is said to accelerate from zero to 62 mph in 1.9 seconds.
Concept Smart #5
Smart, which sells its city cars in the US until 2019 and is currently owned half by Mercedes and half by Geely, has unveiled the #5 concept, foreshadowing a production crossover to come. The #5 will be the largest Smart yet and will feature both a more than 100.0 kWh battery and an 800-volt electrical architecture. The concept takes on a chunky off-road look – with a lightweight bar, chunky tires, limb risers and beefy skid plates – which will no doubt be toned down for production.
Genesis G80 EV Magma Concept
Genesis launched a performance sub-brand called Magma at the New York Auto Show and followed it up with a sporty concept based on its electrified G80 sedan. Unlike the orange cars shown in New York, the Beijing concept is painted Acme Blue. The electric sports sedan features shiny 21-inch wheels, larger air intakes, a rear diffuser and a lower suspension. Inside, there’s quilted leather, carbon fiber trim and Alcantara trim.
Nissan Evo and Epoch concepts
Nissan showed two concept sedans at the Beijing show: the plug-in hybrid Evo and the electric Epoch. Not many powertrain details were revealed, but the concepts look surprisingly production-ready, with side mirrors and eye-catching but not weird LED lighting. Hopefully the upcoming Maxima EV will borrow something from these beautiful four-doors.
Nissan Epic and Era
Nissan also unveiled two SUV concepts: the Era plug-in hybrid and the electric Epic. The Era is said to have all-wheel drive and active air suspension, while the Epic can be used as a mobile power source for camping and parties. Both the SUVs feature a bold front-end design with a series of vertical LED lights.
Toyota bZ3X and Toyota bZ3C
Two new Toyota electric crossovers have been revealed for the Chinese market. Very few specifications have been released, but the bZ3C has a sloping roofline for a coupé look, while the bZ3X has a more traditional box. The front end of both models has the familiar design of other recent Toyotas like the 2025 Camry and Crown Signia, while the cabins feature a massive screen sitting atop a simple dashboard.
Fang Cheng Bao Super 9
A new sub-brand of BYD, which became the largest car manufacturer in China last year, Fang Cheng Bao revealed the wild Speedster Super 9 in Beijing. The roofless wonder certainly draws inspiration from the Mercedes SLR McLaren Stirling Moss and the Aston Martin V12 Speedster, but it’s an impressive-looking machine nonetheless, and it’s penned by the same designer responsible for the Alfa Romeo 8C. The Super 9 is rumored to be built around a carbon fiber monocoque and is believed to use an electric drivetrain.
Zeekr Mix
Geely-owned Zeekr has been producing unique-looking vehicles, such as the 009 minivan, for some time and is even considering entering the US market. Its latest product is the Mix, a sleek, rounded MPV. Although few details have been released, it is expected to use an electric motor producing over 400 horsepower. The real highlights will be acres of interior space, a flat floor and plenty of available seating.
BYD Ocean M—EV Hot Hatch
This crazy-looking hot hatch concept previews a production car from BYD that will be launched in China later this year. The Ocean M has an aggressive bodykit, soaring rear wing and massive brakes. Roughly the same length as the Volkswagen GTI, the Ocean M rides on a new platform with a rear-mounted electric motor, although no other performance features have been revealed so far.
Denza Z9 GT
Another BYD subsidiary, Denza, is also 10 percent owned by Mercedes-Benz and revealed the Z9 GT at the Beijing show. This sleek wagon is about the size of a Porsche Panamera and will use three electric motors pushing out almost 1,000 horsepower, accelerating to 62 mph from a standstill in less than three seconds. The Z9 GT should hit Chinese streets by the end of the year.
Caleb Miller started blogging about cars at the age of 13, and he realized his dream of writing for an automotive magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining Car and Driver team. He loves strange and unknown cars, aspiring to one day own something outlandish like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
