How does a Chinese hypercar sound to you? Yay or nay? We reckon most of you won’t find this too amusing. But before you shoot the idea down, take a look here first.
This, people, is the Hongqi S9, an “ultra-luxury hypercar” under Silk-FAW—a joint venture between Silk EV and First Automobile Works—that was first unveiled at the 2021 Auto Shanghai. It will be produced both in Emilia-Romagna in Italy and in the Jilin Province in China. Looks like a proper hypercar, doesn’t it? It supposedly runs like one, too.
Silk-FAW says the Hongqi S9 will boast hybrid capabilities and will be able to do 0-100kph runs in 1.9sec and reach top speeds of over 400kph. Impressive, but we expect nothing less from the people behind this project. See, designing this thing former Volkswagen Group design chief and now Silk-FAW vice president of styling and design Walter de Silva.
In addition, Silk-FAW has also recently employed another industry veteran for this new venture. The company has now appointed ex-Ferrari CEO and board member Amadeo Felisa as a special advisor to the executive chairman and member of the senior advisory board.
“I am very excited to join the Silk-FAW team. I have always had a passion for performance cars and welcome the chance to work with Silk–FAW to develop the next generation of high-performance luxury automobiles. Our investment into Italy’s Motor Valley will be a long-term contribution to the region,” said Felisa. “We are attracting the best engineering and automotive talent and by leveraging this team through the Hongqi ‘S’ Series we will further develop the craftsmanship and engineering capabilities for luxury products in China. As we build high-quality, ultra-luxury sports cars for both the China and Global markets, I look forward to working with the entire team.”
So, what do you think of this new Chinese hypercar, folks? Share your two cents in the comments section.
