Beetle look-alike draws attention of VW
China's Great Wall Motors has been manufacturing vehicles under the Ora marque since 2018, but the brand didn't register on many people's radar until earlier this year when it revealed a concept car called the “Ora Punk Cat” at the Shanghai Auto Show.
It doesn't take an entomologist to tell there's something very Beetle-like about this vehicle. The Ora Punk Cat is a rounded five-door sedan that the brand says has absolutely no connection to the famed Volkswagen Beetle, even if the rest of the world completely disagrees. You can call it a “cat” all you want, but it's clearly a bug.
Until recently, it seemed Volkswagen was taking the perceived imitation as a form of flattery. But now that Great Wall Motors has patented two five-door designs, registering them with the European Union Intellectual Property Office and China's equivalent, things might change. Even before the patents were discovered, however, Volkswagen was asked about the Punk Cat. This was VW'S very tight and very German reply to Carscoops and every other outlet that has emailed them since: “As always, we check any violations of utility model or design rights of Volkswagen AG and reserve the right to take any necessary legal action.”
What this likely means is that this story is only just beginning.
The fact that Ora has a concept and a pair of patents indicates it is serious, but you know VW isn't going to let this copy-catting slide.