The development of Chinese sports car brands from copycat to original

Maybe the environment was not right at that time. In the following years, these Chinese brands all gave up the idea of making sports cars. It was not until 2016 that another Chinese sports car appeared in front of people, that is, Qiantu K50. The sports car at this time can no longer be compared with those cars that came in the opposite direction.

First of all, it looks bigger and closer to the impression of super cars. The appearance is not copied from someone else's. The most important thing is that electrification has given Chinese brand sports cars an opportunity. The K50 has dual motors and can directly reach more than 400 horsepower and more than 600 Nm. You should know that the C63, which cost more than one million yuan at that time, was almost at this level. But why is the K50 still not as good as the C63? In addition to the brand factor, it is the endurance.

The K50 is rated to have a full-charge endurance of only 380km. If it is cold and you step on it twice, it is unknown whether it can reach 200. Although China has already made efforts in electrification in 2016, it is far from being as mature as it is now. Spending over $98176 on a sports car has a shorter battery life than a motorcycle worth a few hundred dollars. Isn't that inappropriate?

Another milestone for Chinese sports cars was the NIO EP9 launched in 2017, which set a new record for the fastest mass-produced car on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Isn't that a milestone? Because the international definition of a mass-produced car is to produce more than 50 units, and the EP9 has no more, no less than 50 units, which is a good international loophole! It is said that the unit price of these 50 cars is 1.48 million US dollars, and no one knows where they are sold now. However, it also made Chinese sports cars take another step forward.

At this time, some smart small brands also started to promote sports cars. Many people have not heard of the brand Songsa Motorcycle, which mainly focuses on modified American motorcycles. In 2020, it also launched its first sports car, SS DOLPHIN, which uses BYD’s hybrid system and a replica of the Corvette C1. Although the replica looks weird, a bit like a car in GTA, and the price of $84151 also makes its sales not very large, this new way of playing with old cars has brought a new idea to Chinese auto brands.

Next, we will enter the "modern history of Chinese sports cars", looking up at the U9, NETA GT, Hongqi S9, Haobo SSR, MG Cyberster, Fangchengbao Super 9, Chery iCar GT, Polar Fox GT, etc. There is even a brand specially created for sports cars - small sports cars. Yes, this is a brand called a small sports car, and its product SC01 may be launched in the future.

"Looking up to U9"

NETA GT

MG Cyberster

「Sports car SC01」

So in this era of letting a hundred flowers bloom, is Li Shufu, the first person to try something new, still dreaming of a sports car? Of course! Mr. Li used a method of using a little effort to achieve a great result - borrowing a chicken to lay eggs. In 2010, Geely acquired Volvo, and in 2017, it acquired Proton, and the Lotus brand also belonged to Mr. Li. Now Volvo's Polestar 6 sports car is expected to be launched in 2026, and Lotus's EMIRA, which is known as a sports car with the purest British racing bloodline, can now be said to be built by Mr. Li. It fits the old saying: If you can't be copied, you can be made into a wife. Car fanatic Li Shufu did it.

Polestar 6

Lotus EMIRA

The above is the story of Chinese brands making sports cars in the past 20 years. If you want to hear more interesting car stories, please leave a message in the comment section and we will continue the story in the next issue!

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