Lynk and Co might be hinting at putting up a good fight against its turf rivals Volvo and Polestar by forming a collaboration with Cyan Racing.
Cyan racing was split from Polestar after the latter was acquired by Volvo in 2015. Currently operating primarily out of China, Lynk and Co.'s new tie-up with Cyan racing might be its ticket to the Swedish market as it is now committed to launching in Europe in 2019.
But the news does not end there. Lynk and Co have also announced that with the help of the new partnership, the duo will enter the 2019 World Touring Car Cup with a race car based on Lynk and Co.'s recently revealed 03 compact sedans. Additionally, the company also announced the concept of a road-going version that produces 500bhp of power.
Lynk and Co, as well as Cyan Racing, have been tight-lipped about future plans of the concept car. However, the company stated that the concept was the first step towards the availability of new performance offerings.
“The fusion between Lynk & Co. and Cyan Racing will form the spearhead of our automotive performance debut,” Zhejiang Geely Holding Group spokesman Victor Yang said. “The combination of Lynk & Co.'s challenge of auto industry conventions and Cyan Racing's vast motorsport and performance experience are two key elements in this unique cooperation."
We could trace back similar strategies back in 2010 when Volvo and Polestar joined hands to develop a Volvo C30 performance concept that was based on its C30 race car. This was followed up by Polestar with a new S60 concept that led to the first Volvo S60 Polestar road car in 2014.
With the new collaboration, the company is also aiming to expand in the USA. The 03 joins the 01 and 02 compact SUVs in Lynk and Co.'s lineup. The 03's stock iteration sports a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-3 engine that delivers 156 horsepower. The company had also hinted at a plug-in hybrid powertrain utilizing the inline-3 in the coming years.
