While China’s major automakers continue pushing the EV envelope with advanced tech and compelling price tags, a different breed of smaller manufacturers is still playing dress-up. Among the growing crowd of micro-EVs that unapologetically borrow from luxury brands like Bugatti, Porsche, Aston Martin, and Maserati, one tiny outlier stands out. This pint-sized oddity doesn’t just mimic a Bentley, it also comes with a surprise under the hood: a range-extender powertrain.

At the front, it’s doing its best impression of a mini Bentley Bentayga, featuring a large mesh-style grille and a pair of round LED headlights. Move to the side or rear and the illusion fades a bit, with a shape that’s closer to a Smart. The tiny wheels and off-kilter proportions won’t have anyone second-guessing what it actually is, but it’s entertaining all the same.

More: Tiny Rolls-Royce And Maybach Clones Are The Cutest Things You’ll See Today

What makes this vehicle a little more than just a visual gag is the inclusion of a small combustion engine that looks suspiciously like it was borrowed from a garden tool. In a video shared on Instagram by yaypan_lik, it can be seen sputtering to life and making more noise than a vehicle of this size probably should. That said, the engine isn’t connected to the wheels; it only works as a generator to feed the battery.

This setup means the car is still powered by a fully electric motor, which is far quieter and presumably more efficient than the gas-powered backup. The hybrid system makes practical sense in places with limited EV charging infrastructure. Fittingly, the clip was filmed in Uzbekistan, where plug-in access might be less reliable.

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A Mini Bentley, A Micro Price Tag

According to the Instagram post, the car was priced at around $3,100 and apparently sold, although some commenters speculated the actual sale price may have been lower. A bit of digging shows that the faux Bentley is manufactured in Shandong, China, by Weihai Yilin New Energy Technology. Online listings show prices ranging from $2,500 to $3,100, consistent with the Uzbekistan post.

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Measuring 3,850 mm (151.6 inches) in length, the Bentley doppelganger is technically a five-seater, although fitting that many adults inside would likely require some creative Tetris skills. Features include a digital cockpit, LED lights, a roof-mounted fan, heating, power windows, alloy wheels, and disc brakes on all four corners. There’s even a variant with a slightly tweaked exterior mimicking the front end of the Bentley Mulliner Batur, for those seeking an extra touch of fake exclusivity.

The electric motor is rated at 5 horsepower (3.5 kW), giving it a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph). That puts it in the same performance bracket as heavy quadricycles like the Citroen Ami. As for the combustion engine, battery size, or range, those details are absent. But a full charge reportedly takes 8 to 10 hours.

Would You Buy It?

Of course, it’s not a real Bentley. It doesn’t drive like one, it doesn’t feel like one, and it definitely doesn’t come with the prestige. But for a few thousand dollars, it’s a bizarre, undeniably amusing way to get around the block. The real question is whether you’d choose this over a moped. And if your answer is yes, then maybe the tiny fake Bentley replica is doing something right.

Photos: Yilin Electric Car

2024 was a year of change at Bentley as the company said farewell to its iconic W12 engine, which debuted in the first-generation Continental GT. That model helped to relaunch the luxury brand and it also entered its fourth-generation last year.

As part of the redesign, Bentley replaced the W12 with a new plug-in hybrid powertrain that consist of a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine, an electric motor, and a 25.9 kWh battery pack. This gives the Speed and Mulliner variants a combined output of 771 hp (575 kW / 782 PS) and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque.

More: New Bentley Continental GT Speed Goes PHEV And Packs 771 HP

Those are impressive numbers, but pricing starts at $306,250 for the Speed and climbs to $330,950 for the Mulliner. That’s pretty expensive, but Bentley suggested more affordable variants are on the horizon.

While the company was tight-lipped on specifics, they confirmed “lower powered derivatives” of the Flying Spur and Continental GT will arrive in 2025. Little is known about them at this point, but it sounds like they’ll use a detuned version of the plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Speaking of future models, Bentley has begun transforming the oldest building at their Pyms Lane factory into a future electric vehicle assembly line. The EV is slated to be launched in 2027 and the company has previously described it as the “world’s first true Luxury Urban SUV.”

The crossover is part of the company’s Beyond100+ plan, which calls for the automaker to go electric-only by 2035. That date has already been pushed back once, but we can expect a “new hybrid or electric model every year for the next decade.”

Bentley EV teaser

While Bentley is looking to the future, 2024 wasn’t pretty as revenues fell 10% to €2.6 ($2.8 / £2.2) billion. Their operating profit also plummeted 37% to €373 ($406 / £313) million.

Despite the disappointing result, Bentley said 70 percent of customers are choosing a Mulliner bespoke option. Thanks to demand for personalization, the company is now earning the highest ever revenue per car. However, that’s not much help when global sales fall 21.5% to 10,600 units.

Bentley CEO Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser said, “Last year marked a milestone year in our transformation as we prepare for our electric future. We are investing at levels never seen before at Bentley, as we not only revolutionize our product cycle plan, but also transform an 85-year-old site for a new age of electrification. These are the critical foundations that will build our long-term sustainability and success.” Walliser went on to say 2025 looks challenging due to “difficult global market conditions and maintained volatile political and economic environments.”