Opel Calibra Transformed into an Aston Martin DB9, Made In Bangkok

Been noticing a lot of replicas out of BKK for the past couple years. Anybody know the shop or shops? Any leads would be appreciated.

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A team of
tuners, allegedly from Thailand, chose to sacrifice a 1990s Opel
Calibra coupe to create this Aston Martin DB9 replica. We don't have
any details on the project, but judging by the photos, we gather that
it could fool an untrained eye.
While
not a popular model for conversions, this isn't the first time we've
seen an Opel Calibra being used as a donor car for the creation of a
replica.

company		Schoenes Co.
		229/3-4 Soi Akamai 7, Sukhumvit 63
		Bangkok 10110 Thailand
contact		Chris Pongpitaya
phone		+66 2392 4177
fax		+66 2392 4177

IT MAY look like the real thing and move like the real thing - but these cars aren't really what they seem.

The Ferrari or Lamborghini you see along Bangkok roads may just be a
locally-made replica. The man responsible for their presence is
44-year-old Thai carmaker Chris Pongpitaya.

He said he has no shortage of orders from home and abroad for cars
which are clones of expensive sports cars such as Ferraris,
Lamborghinis, Porsches and Aston Martins. Their prices start from only
400,000 baht ($17,000), reported Bangkok Post.

Other
than cars, Mr Pongpitaya's company, Schones (German for beautiful),
also modifies original vehicles, produces jet skis, boats, planes and
furniture he designs himself.

He said he gained the expertise from 14 years spent in Germany at
the Porsche Design Studio, where he worked on interior designs for
planes. He also spent about three years with Brabus, the
high-performance after-market tuning company specialising mainly in
Mercedes Benz.

He told the newspaper: "I started my business in 1998, at first only
installing accessories in Ferraris and other expensive sports cars.
Later on, I started to reproduce the cars and moved on to other items."

Doesn't he worry about copyright infringement?

He said: "If you put a logo on a car, this could be a problem. I can
do so with cars like Ferraris that are already out of production, like
the F40 or the Testarossa. It is not the same as when someone copies
1,000 Moschino bags. I am making only a few pieces.

"We can find the logos or stickers for all car brands on the web, or
I can make logos from fibreglass or other materials. Logos can be also
bought from many shops in Thailand."

He takes about eight to 12 weeks to build a car like a Ferrari F40.
Popular makes are the Ferraris - the F40, F50 and F512 TR models -
followed by Lamborghinis and every Porsche model.

Aston Martins are also popular.

Most know of him through word-of-mouth as he does not advertise.

He added: "Sometimes I try to hide because I am known as a master copier."

He said of his replicas: "It looks like the original and it is
cheap. My customers are people who have a dream to own an expensive
sports car at an affordable price, and this is exactly what I can
provide for them.

"If someone wants me to make a car, a Ferrari for example, after
they tell me the model, I will do research and find the information by
using many resources. I can make or modify any product at the
customer's request. It is up to the customer as to what type of engine,
brakes, mag wheels, tyres, interior, etc, they want."

Though business is good, Mr Pongpitaya said he is not doing it for the money, but for the challenge.

His dream, he said, is to produce a Thai branded car.

He said he has produced copies of luxury cars for Hollywood, Hong Kong and Thai movie productions.

He said: "These are crashed or blown up. They look all right from
the outside, but inside they have a small engine, just enough to drive
around. They have no power.