A firm with Xiaomi’s backing has unveiled an electric sports car
After years of specializing on car modifications, China Car Custom has stated that it will instead compete in the auto industry. Xiaomi is a backer of the company, and the company’s senior vice president, Liu De, is on the CCC‘s board of directors.
The SC01 is a two-door, two-seat electric sports automobile that is propelled by a pair of electric motors producing a total of 320kW (429hp). It’s enough to propel this stylish roadster from zero to one hundred kilometers per hour in 3.9 seconds. The car’s light weight of 1,300 kilograms isn’t very impressive, but it should nevertheless make for a pleasant driving experience.
The car’s starting price of $42,000 is an added bonus to its good aesthetics and respectable performance numbers (RMB 300,000). Even though production won’t begin until the following year, with shipments starting before the end of 2023, the firm is currently accepting orders. A deposit of just RMB 199 (less than $28) will hold a customer’s place in line.
You wouldn’t be too far off if you guessed that you’ve seen this car before. The design is obviously influenced by the Lancia Stratos 2010 concept car, and the more we look, the more parallels we see. The Stratos idea measured in at 4.18 meters in length and 1,270 kilograms in mass. At 4.08 meters in length and 1.300 kilograms in mass, the SC01 is a substantial aircraft. The 500 HP V8 in the Stratos rocketed it to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds, whereas the SC01 needs an extra second.
When you compare the two vehicles side by side, you can’t help but see certain parallels. The world was different in 2010 and Lancia should have manufactured that car. Instead of waiting, the CCC made its own take on the classic 2-seat mid-engine design, transforming it into an electric sports vehicle with a range of up to 500 kilometers (based on the NEDC).
Xiaomi invested tens of millions of RMB in CCC, a company that specializes in transforming stock vehicles into high-performance race machines. The drivetrain of the WM Weltmaister, which is rumored to be capable of going from zero to one hundred kilometers per hour in 1.8 seconds, was constructed by CCC. Will we ever be able to purchase this electric sports vehicle outside of China for $42,000?