Youth power fueling China's vehicle sales

Young, rich and hungry for speed, a new generation of Chinese drivers is reshaping the global market with their taste for powerful cars, said a new study released on Wednesday.

Asia and particularly China, the world's second-largest economy, have long been a key market for global automobile manufacturers as they seek to make up for weak demand in the US and Europe.

But a study of 14 countries by French think-tank Cetelem found that Chinese consumers were also set apart by their attitudes toward cars, which wealthy young buyers see as an important status symbol.