Island nation, headquarters of Toyota.

As Asia's first and the world's second largest automaker, Toyota's business scope is naturally very extensive, and the company's models, in addition to supercars, are almost readily available.

In the field of luxury cars, the Lexus launched a few years ago has also been a great success, and has won the title of the North American luxury car sales champion for several consecutive years.

Now, Ming Group suddenly announced that it would enter the luxury car market, which made Toyota very vigilant and had to guard against it.

"Have you made any arrangements in the European and American markets?" asked Hideyoshi Toyoda, the current president of Toyota, with a solemn face on the face of the man sitting across from him.

"I've told the sales reps this morning, so there shouldn't be any problem. Shinji Kagawa, Toyota's director of European and American sales, replied respectfully.

"It's not just Toyota, I guess BMW, Mercedes-Benz and General Motors, these old friends, I'm afraid they're going to be busy in this world!"

If the new car has not been officially released, only a new car research and development statement can make all competitors like a big enemy, and there is only this Ming Group, which has just been established for ten years!

"The BMW Group, the automakers, have indeed taken action. Shinji Kagawa hesitated for a moment before continuing, "President, a new car that hasn't been officially released yet, is it worth our fanfare?"

Shinji Kagawa was in charge of the sales of Lexus in the European and American markets, and he knew that the operation of luxury cars was completely different from ordinary cars, and the current situation of the Ming Group was very similar to that of Toyota, which wanted to transition from a low-cost car manufacturer to high-end car production.

The success of Lexus may have some accidental factors, but Shinji Kagawa does not think that Ming Group can also replicate the miracle of Lexus, Lexus has taken root in the European and American markets for so many years, and even luxury car manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have never been afraid, how can they be frightened by Ming Group?

"Why, do you still dare to despise any of the cars released by the Ming Group?" Hideyoshi Toyoda raised his eyelids, "You forgot about the Southeast Asian market?"

Even now, Toyota Hideyoshi thought of the Southeast Asian market battle, he still felt very annoyed, two years have passed, with the Fuwa car, Ming Group has completely gained a firm foothold in the Southeast Asian market, the market share has been close to Toyota, I am afraid that in another two years, Ming Group's market share in Southeast Asia, will surpass Toyota in one fell swoop, become the largest car manufacturer in the Southeast Asian market.

had such an experience, Toyoda Hideyoshi was also bitten by a snake once, and he was afraid of the well rope for ten years, and he didn't dare to slack off again.

"But the Southeast Asian market is not the same as the European and American markets, luxury cars and entry-level sedans are fundamentally different, the set of marketing methods used by the Ming Group in the Southeast Asian market is not applicable to luxury cars at all, luxury cars are more important to quality, Ming Group entered the luxury car market for the first time, why should consumers pay?" continued Shinji Kagawa.

"In terms of quality, do you think among all the current car brands, which car can compare to Rolls-Royce? Ming Group has said in a statement that this upcoming luxury car is of the same origin as Rolls-Royce, and with such a gimmick as Rolls-Royce, do you think consumers will not buy it?" Hideyoshi Toyoda explained with a smile.

Prior to this, Toyota Hideyoshi still couldn't understand why Ming Group would go to great lengths to compete with BMW to acquire the Rolls-Royce brand, after all, the profits in the ultra-luxury car market are not much, until a few days ago after seeing the announcement of Ming Group, Toyota Hideyoshi suddenly realized that Rolls-Royce is simply a ladder used by Zhou Jingming to enter the luxury car market.

After hearing the words Rolls-Royce, Shinji Kagawa couldn't help frowning, this is indeed the biggest advantage of Ming Group to enter the luxury car market.

"Alright, just get ready. It has been two years since the release of Ming Group's new car, and we still occupy the initiative. Toyoda Hideyoshi stood up, "I'm going to go to the Engine Research Institute now to see how our company's new generation of VVT engine research is progressing, you can go with me." ”

***

Toyota's situation, Zhou Jingming is not clear, after learning about the Hongqi R50 car, Zhou Jingming returned to Shencheng, although he is the general arrangement of the Yanhuang car, but the overall design plan of the car in the early stage, Zhou Jingming has already made arrangements, and the next specific design can be handed over to the relevant responsible units, Zhou Jingming only needs to regularly understand the design progress and give technical guidance.

On the other hand, because of the particularity of DVVT engine development, and the engine research institute is not in Chuncheng, so this time the development of luxury cars and the development of a set of components of the power transmission system is still placed in Gusu City, and not followed by the project team in Chuncheng, which is just convenient for Zhou Jingming to keep abreast of the research and development progress of this engine.

After returning to Shencheng, Zhou Jingming found Zhao Ke on the second and asked him about the preparation of the all-aluminum body.

"After returning from the Audi Lightweight Research Center last time, our technical staff quickly determined the preliminary technical plan after several discussions, combined with the training given to them by the chairman, and the group has been purchasing relevant equipment from abroad according to their needs. After Zhao Ke came to Zhou Jingming's office, he began to report in detail.

There is no way to provide welding machines and stamping machines and other related equipment required to manufacture all-aluminum bodies, and all of these need to be imported from abroad.

"It's nothing to import these equipment, anyway, if you import it once, it can be used for a long time, how about the aluminum alloy material I asked you to find last time, is there a manufacturer in China that meets the requirements?" Zhou Jingming asked.

Since it is an all-aluminum body, the aluminum materials required for the body must also have high requirements, and Zhou Jingming is most worried that even these materials need to rely on imports, which is very costly.

"I have consulted several of the largest aluminum factories in China, although they all produce aluminum alloys, but there is no aluminum alloy that can meet the requirements of making all-aluminum bodies, and it is really not good, so you can only rely on imports. Zhao Ke replied helplessly.

The automobile industry is a comprehensive industry, the need for the support of all aspects of basic industries, the domestic automobile industry once could not catch up with Europe and the United States, and the domestic basic industry backwardness is very related, and now, can not find a suitable aluminum alloy material, is a microcosm of the backwardness of the basic industry.