SANTA ANA, Calif. U.S. bus and coach operators have a new motorcoach to consider, one with a price tag that will make it hard to ignore.

A California company that specializes in importing and modifying foreign-made automobiles to meet U.S. safety and emissions standards has begun importing motorcoaches from eastern China and converting them for sale in the U.S.

G&K Automotive Conversion has set up a subsidiary, Greenkraft Inc., thats bringing in the 45-foot coaches, installing Cummins and Allison power trains, and distributing them from its 140,000-square-foot facility in Santa Ana.

The coach is called the Ankai, and its manufactured by Anhui Ankai Automobile Co. Ltd., which says its the only authorized partner of Daimler AG in the Asia-Pacific region.

The coaches Anhui Ankai builds in China are based on Setra designs and technology, and marketed with a Setra nameplate. Setra, of course, is one of three Daimler bus brands. Anhui Ankai proudly highlights its connection to Daimler and Setra on its website, touting the partnership with Daimler/Setra and its coaches "technical heredity from Germany."

Anhui Ankai coaches marketed in the U.S. are being sold under the Ankai name.

Frank Ziegler, director of sales and marketing at Greenkraft, said coach operators will be impressed with the Ankai and its 56 seatbelt-equipped leather seats, LCD video screens, air suspension, back-up monitor, engine compartment fire-suppression system, aluminum wheels and other amenities.

"Fully loaded, the coach will sell for $325,000," said Ziegler.

A base model, with steel wheels and cloth-fabric seats, lists at $295,000.

All coaches will have 410-horsepower Cummins ISM engines and Allison B-500R transmissions. Ziegler said many of the Ankais chassis components, including axles and steering, are made by ZF. Michelin tires are standard.

The coaches have anti-locking braking systems, with disk front brakes and drum brakes on the rear axles. The air conditioning system is roof mounted.

Cutaway drawings of the Ankai indicate it uses true monocoque construction, with underside frame members anti-corrosion treated. It comes with a kneeling system, rear lavatory, auxiliary heater, and two-year warranty.

It has a curb weight of 35,000 pounds and a GVWR of more than 46,000 pounds.

Initially, parts and service are available at the Greenkraft/G&K Automotive facility in Santa Ana. Ziegler said a service network is being established.

The driving force behind the introduction of the Ankai to the U.S. market is George Gemayel, president and founder of G&K Automotive, a 30-year-old company that specializes in modifying foreign-built vehicles, ranging from autos to motorcycles to ATVs, to meet USDOT and USEPA requirements.

Gemayel became something of a legend four years ago when he brought 1,026 European-version smart cars into the U.S. and converted them for sale as legal U.S. vehicles.

Until then, the Mercedes-built smart car, available around the world for years, appeared doomed never to be available in the U.S. Mercedes had vowed it wouldnt bring the smart car to the U.S. because of our big car/SUV/pickup truck culture.

Two months after Gemayel sold his first conversion smart car, Mercedes flip-flopped and announced it would sell an Americanized version of the smart car in the U.S. That happened last year and the smart car has been a big seller.

Three years ago, Gemayel got the idea of trying to repeat his success with the smart car by importing Chinese-made buses and trucks. With an in-house staff of mechanical and emissions engineers, plus experienced technicians, mechanics and assemblers, and partnerships with design and tooling companies, Gemayel figured his team could convert Chinese buses and trucks to U.S. standards.

So, he began working with Anhui Ankai Automobile Co. and its affiliate, Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co., which makes trucks. Both companies have their manufacturing operations in Hefei, an eastern Chinese city 80 miles west of Nanjing and 270 miles west of Shanghai.

Gemayel has a 10-year agreement with Anhui Ankai to distribute buses in the U.S. and a 25-year agreement with Anhui Jianghuai to market trucks. Distribution of the trucks is scheduled to begin next year.

Meanwhile, says Ziegler, Ankai coaches are ready for test drives and buyers.

For more information, go to www.greenkraftinc.com.