Maybe you remember the name Geely? It was the first Chinese car company to show a car at the Detroit auto show in 2006. The display vehicle was a pathetic attempt at a sedan that left many wondering if it was a serious car company.

Now take a look at this Geely concept. It's called the Tiger GT and it's the one car at the show that always has a crowd around it. Sure, the models hanging on it help, but most of the credit goes to the Italian-looking bodywork that makes it look like a misshapen Maserati.

According to the brief spec sheet, the Geely GT has a 3.5-liter V6 up front that produces 225 horsepower and 340 pound-feet of torque. It sends power to the rear wheels that measure 19 inches in diameter and wear 255/40ZR tires. The suspension is only described as "multilink" front and rear.

It will be a long time before a car like the Geely Tiger GT ever hits the road. The fact that it even exists in concept form is probably a triumph for Geely's designers and accountants. The company is moving fast, though, so don't be surprised if Geely's next Detroit concept gets more claps than laughs. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line

STOP THE PRESSES!!!

A Chinese car that's not a blatant rip-off of some other worldly car? A Chinese car that's actually really good looking?

Yep, that's what we have here with this Geely CE Concept which will debut at the Beijing Auto Show. Ah, my hope for humanity has just been given a much needed boost...

Full story here.

Geely Automobile is ambitious. The Chinese company produced 2 million cars in 2006 and aims to produce 20 million cars in 2015. It's not quite ready to sell in the U.S. but the company says it is inevitable.

The LTI pictured above is exactly what it looks like -- a London Taxi. Not a clone of a London Taxi, but the real thing. Geely entered an agreement to produce it in China as part of a joint venture.

Aside from the LTI, Geely produces cars comprised of Chinese intellectual property, and that includes powertrains -- it doesn't borrow major hardware components from other manufacturers.

Taking a gander at the FC sedan pictured above, it's pretty clear the company won't have GM or Toyota in a stranglehold anytime soon. However, caution would state that other automakers keep their eyes on Geely, else be blindsided by a Hyundai-like ascent into maturity. -- Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor, Inside Line

I hate this kind of stuff. Maybe because I'm a graphic designer it hits just too close to my heart.

Geely has just introduced a new logo that's supposed to reflect the heart and soul of the company. This is what logos do, or at least that's what they're supposed to do. People, such as myself, spend untold hours slaving coming up with these icons. Companies spend big bucks knowing how important a logo—and its implementation, and how it will reflect upon the company with the public. It's all about image building and market positioning. Even though it may seem silly to many, there's a lot riding on this sort of thing.

And so we have Geely having a "design contest" here, and pictured above is the winner—and now the designers are open to either widespread praise or widespread scorn. It doesn't take much to figure out which will win out. By the way, their old logo is the small one on the right.

Geely Unveils New Logo and Critics Pounce

So what do I think of it?

I'm not sure, as I don't know that much about Geely; their heritage, the symbolism involved here, their mission and vision for the future, and so on and so forth. Being a Chinese automaker adds even more mystery as to the thinking going on here. Off hand I'd say it's interesting. I like the center design element. I'm not wild about the "ovalness" of the overall shape, as that's been beaten to death by countless other car companies. But I'm just really commenting on the "eye candy" aspect here, which is just a knee-jerk reaction like that of most people.

When I first saw this I said, oh no, not another Chinese rip-off. But that's not the case, as Geely has struck up a deal with Manganese Bronze, the owner of London Taxi, to produce the iconic London Taxi, and it will be sold in London. The TX4 will have a 2.4 diesel engine and is reported to have a Euro 4 rating.

Full story here.

Image: Robin Buckson / The Detroit News

Last year at Detroit Chinese automaker Geely gingerly tiptoed into Cobo Hall, barely registering a blip on the Wow Meter. This year the Chinese are back with Changfeng Motors putting up a display of five models, two SUVs, two pickups and a concept car. Surely the Wow Meter was wowed a bit more this time around...

Changfeng promises to enter the US market at some point, but no date has been announced yet.

Full story here.

The Beijing auto show opened this weekend. As you may have been reading this show is starting to get a lot more news coverage, as the Chinese are starting to make a bid for the world market. Expect to see an increased presence of Chinese cars at the NAIAS this year.

The vehicle pictured above is the Geely Fengyin (Stealth Wind) concept.

Here's Inside Line's preview.

Last year the Chinese auto company Geely had a display at the Detroit show, This year Chanfeng, another Chinese car company will have a display. The vehicle pictured above is called the Cheetah, and was shown at the Shanghai auto show in 2005.

Chanfeng expects to market cars here in 2010.

Last year the Chinese automaker Geely tiptoed into the Detroit auto show with a small and short-lived display. This year expect to see three Chinese automakers set up displays in Cobo Hall. You can be sure automakers from around the world will be watching this closely, as China is quickly developing their auto industry. It's just a matter of time before they become a player in the world market.

Snippet: Geely, a privately owned carmaker, hopes to start selling vehicles in Puerto Rico next year and on the U.S. mainland in 2008. Another automaker, state-owned Chery Automobile Co., also plans to sell cars here in 2008.

Geely, Chery and the three carmakers preparing to bring cars to Detroit are not among China's largest automakers, but they are among the most aggressive in an industry that is still in the early stages of a shakeout.

Changfeng, Great Wall and Zhongxing could begin shipping vehicles to the United States as early as next year, although 2008-2009 is more likely, said auto dealer Richard Genthe, who was co-chairman of the 2006 show.

More news here on Inside Line.

Geely, remember them? They were the Chinese automaker that had a display at the 2006 NAIAS.

Well, John Harmer, Vice President & COO of Geely USA, and other automotive dignitaries discuss the next stage of China's growth, as automakers in the world market (and North America, of course) at a networking breakfast titled: "China—After the Gold Rush: The Auto Industry's New Frontier."