I’m always yapping about how nobody can keep up with the super cheap electric vehicles coming out of China. That has clearly been the main focus of the automakers over there. However, there have been some outliers as of late.
First, BYD’s Denza Z9 GT EV had James Bond himself announce the Porsche competitor over in Europe. The six-figure performance car was meant to shatter the stereotypes that Chinese cars are just undercutting the competition. However, early reviews suggest it may be a tough sell: the Z9 GT isn’t the most luxurious or fun ride, so it may be tricky to get Porsche purists to switch to a more expensive option from China.
That’s just one little flubber, though. Now, another Chinese automaker is looking to break free from the race to the bottom. Great Wall Motor is hoping to compete with Ferrari.
Great Wall Motor’s V8 supercar could change the game
The Beijing Auto Show was largely a display of neat Chinese vehicles that the United States can’t have, so I wasn’t paying too close attention. Why bum myself out? But it’s been a bit tough to ignore, since the rest of the internet is still quite invested in the innovations and cheapness of the vehicles showcased at the auto show.
I finally gave in when I heard “V8.” Wait, not an electric car? Alright, alright. What’s going on over there?
Great Wall Motor, a long-standing Chinese automaker known for its SUVs and pickup trucks, has decided to build the country’s first GT3 race car. It’s currently working on a V8-powered supercar that will take aim at Ferrari.
The unnamed supercar will be part of Great Wall Motor’s new subbrand, GWM GF (with GF standing for “Great Faith”). Not much is known about the mysterious supercar, but it will have a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 and a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis. “The supercar project is benchmarking Ferrari,” Great Wall Chairman Jack Wei told CarSauce over the weekend. “The supercar platform will evolve into a GT3 race car, with a road-going GT3 version as well.”
Wei admitted that a V8 supercar is not really on-trend with China’s current strategy, which is appealing to global markets with cheap cars. However, Great Wall Motor was inspired by feedback from Australia, a country where it has been selling vehicles since 2009. Great Wall Motor’s Chief Technology Officer Nicole Wu said: “Last year I spoke with local people, and they told me there is no replacement for displacement.”
Since China isn’t currently big on supercar production, Great Wall Motor brought on former McLaren GT Chief Engineer Adam Thomson. He is currently leading the platform and vehicle development.
China isn’t completely out of the loop when it comes to performance vehicles. The Yangwang U9 Xtreme became the fastest production car in the world earlier this year, reaching over 308 miles per hour. However, most of China’s performance vehicles are electric or plug-in hybrids, like the Yangwang U9, the Denza Z, and the Xiami SU7 Ultra. The V8 supercar is a different animal.
Maybe by the time Great Wall Motor reveals its supercar, the United States will be open to some Chinese imports. While things always seem a bit up in the air in Washington D.C., there is a lot of opposition to letting Chinese automakers into the country. Even Ford, which is partnered with Chinese technology brands, has said it would “devastate” domestic carmakers. Well, let’s just hope it’s another underwhelming flop like the Denza Z9 GT EV then, since we will probably be missing out once again.
