Rolls Royce Made In China? Well, almost.

The Chinese have become well known for producing fake (or affordable replicas) of popular products. For example, you can buy a Nokia E72 for Rs. 35,000 or you can buy the Chinese rip-off for Rs. 5,000. Occasionally, the Chinese venture into the luxury market also, such as producing fake designer bags or Vertu mobile phones.

But this one takes the cake.

This is the Geely GE, which was displayed mere feet away from the car that is it very obviously based on, the Rolls Royce Phantom.

Its not just a passing resemblance too... The Geely GE is a such a blatant replica that Rolls Royce have begun legal proceedings against the company.

The Geely GE will cost you $44,000, which is slightly less than the RR price tag: $366,000.

While we're on the subject, some interesting information about the original Rolls Royce Phantom. I mean, what exactly do you get for $366,000, or Rs. 30 million (before duties and taxes)?

Well, you can choose from 40,000 colour options, or come up with one of your own. And you can specify your choice of leather, wood, fabrics, etc for the interior. Your car is put together entirely by hand - the only thing done by robots in the factory is the paint job. I believe there are six or eights coats of paint and the car is polished by hand between each coat.

You get a 6750cc 48 valve V12 engine which produces 453 horsepower. Thats enough power to propel the Phantom, which weighs a whopping 2485 kg, to 100kmh in just under 6 seconds.

There are also enough bells and whistles to keep the people in the back entertained. The rear doors are electronically operated and have built-in umbrellas. A rear seat DVD entertainment system with a 26 speaker sound system is standard. The front and rear seats are electrically controlled and feature heated/cooled cup holders (how cool is that?). Wireless headphones, iPod connectivity, a fridge and a 5-zone climate controlled air conditioning system is standard. The AC unit is said to be as powerful as 30 refrigerators.

There are a whole host of options you can choose from, but if you decide to go for the Rolls Royce Bespoke programme, you can actually specify ANY option you want, and the factory will create it for you.

Notable customers include Donald Trump, Simon Cowell, Jay Kay, Denzel Washington, Ben Affleck, 50 Cent and Nicolas Cage (who owns 9 of them). The largest order in history was placed by the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, which ordered 14 Phantoms to replace its entire fleet of Rolls Royces.

The most successful dealer of the company is the O'Gara Coach Company of Beverly Hills, California: they sold 58 vehicles in 2007, accounting for 15% of USA sales and 6% of global sales.

Then there's the Rolls Royce you can have on a budget: it is a 1:18 scale model (13 inches long), licensed by RR, manufactured by a company called Exoto.

The model features:

• Hiding mechanism for Flying Lady with automatic closing lid
• Precision opening doors, boot, bonnet, and petrol lid with removable cap, all lockable and with spring loaded hinges
• Phantom Drophead Coupe includes a functional soft-top
• Plush all-leather interior
• Genuine exotic wood and aluminum inserts
• Wool carpeted interior and boot floors
• Interior features fully functional seats, sunshades, glove box, center arm console, and more
• Superb polished chrome and brushed stainless steel
• Fully wired and plumbed V12 Rolls Royce engine, full electrical and mechanical components, including many machined parts
• Wealth of photo-etch parts, nickel plated as appropriate
• Photo-etch and machined metal disc brakes and metal multi-link suspension assembly
• Machined hexagonal bolt heads on engine valve covers
• Removable wheels fastened by five metal wheel studs and nuts on each wheel, hidden behind a removable center cap
• Semi-pneumatic tires
• Genuine gas filled shock absorbers, fully functional suspension
• Functional steering system, properly geared

And the price?

Yours for $600.

(And I don't think this one is Made in China)