The Incredible Armored Limousine of the Chinese President
- Published on 08/05/2024 18:30
- Modified on 25/09/2025 23:25
Chinese cars are now part of our daily life, but the car of Chinese President Xi Jinping stands out from the ordinary.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was present on French soil this week for a state visit with French President Emmanuel Macron. We will refrain from commenting on the political aspect of this trip, but it is impossible to ignore the car in which the powerful Chinese leader was riding!
The last American presidents only travel in their customized Cadillac known as “The Beast.” King Charles previously visited France in the Bentley Royal State Limousine formerly used by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. On the French side, Citroën and its cousin DS have written some of the most glorious chapters of this four-wheeled romance with the DS 19, which certainly saved Charles de Gaulle’s life, the SM of Georges Pompidou, Jacques Chirac’s CX, or Emmanuel Macron’s DS7 Vauban. Peugeot has occasionally made the honor roll with Valéry Giscard d’Estaing’s 604 or Nicolas Sarkozy’s 607, and it is on two wheels that François Hollande entered posterity…
The Discreet Charm of Chinese Industry
The Chinese president chose a rather discreet but intriguing model. This car is known by its code name N701 and has already been used by the president during trips to the United States, Hong Kong, and Russia. Two units seem to have been sent by plane for his visit to France.
This quite Chinese limousine is a Hongqi, and of course, it is not a production model although it shares some similarities with the Chinese firm’s flagship H9 sedan. N701 measures about 5.5 meters, is mounted on 21-inch wheels and tires capable of withstanding a grenade explosion, and is equipped with bulletproof windows and formidable armor. Naturally, it features an internal air circulation system to counter chemical attacks.
Like all Hongqi models, its grille features a large badge bearing the red flag with a hammer and sickle. As an official vehicle, the emblem appears on the fenders, the chrome window surrounds, the thick pillars, and on the LED taillights.
According to Chinese media, it is powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine producing approximately 450 hp. The bare minimum to move this 10-ton monster!
This page is translated from the original post "L’incroyable limousine blindée du président chinois" in French.
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