Yes, I had heard that is was going to be produced overseas. (China, huh, guess we'll be seeing them in Wal-Mart. Come to think of it, that might not be a bad thing for promoting GA!)
Datapoint - the overhaul manual for the O-200 says the basic engine weighs 170.18 lbs. Add carb, mags, starter, alternator, etc., and you're up to about 210 or so. With mufflers and baffling (supplied by the aircraft manufacturer, not Continental), the all-up weight of the engine assembly is somewhat less than 240 lbs (plus the prop).
(The "export shipping crate", btw, weighs in at 142 lbs empty . . . )
Price of a brand new O-200 from Continental is about $24,000, cost to rebuild is about $15K, but can be done for less if you get a deal on labor. TBO is 1800 hours, and if the airplane is flown regularly, it will make TBO. Most are not - and develop cylinder problems at about 1,100 hours.
O-200 runs quite happily on auto gas, too. It was originally designed to use 80-87 (the orange stuff), but that hasn't been around for years. Plain old regular 87 octane car gas works just fine, is fully legal (in the US) and costs between $1 and $2 a gallon less than avgas.
What does the Rotax power package weigh, including radiator, coolant, plumbing, and so forth?
As to the sales and service network, that is a definite advantage, and especially if the airplane is being operated to make money - if it sits, the owner is losing revenue! Ever try to find parts for an "orphan" car or motorcycle? I am willing to accept a slightly "sub-optimal" airplane if I can get the parts I need to keep it flying. If I insist on the latest and greatest stuff, no one will have the parts, and they will be expensive if they can be found at all. Any idea what a screen for a G1000 costs? (I don't know, but I'll bet it is expensive, like probably more than my entire airplane costs!) You can't fly your G1000/172 without it - same technology as laptop screens, and we know they NEVER break (smile).
Best Regards,
Echo Mike