Lynk & Co 03: A True Chinese Sports Car
China is not known for sports cars. For over 20 years, Chinese auto manufacturer Geely has wanted to change that. In 2001, it attempted to, with the Beauty Leopard. However, the Beauty Leopard can’t really be classified as a performance vehicle, it’s more of a compact economy car with a hint of a sports car shape. Fast forward to 2016, Geely decided to try again, launching a new, millennial and Gen Z focused brand Lynk & Co. Not long after, the brand debuted the Lynk & Co 03, which quickly gained recognition after it broke records at Nürburgring.
It appears Geely has finally done it – creating the first Chinese performance vehicle, which many young Chinese consumers are now opting for over the Honda Civic Type R.
About Lynk & Co
Lynk & Co was founded in 2016 by Geely in Sweden. Geely is one of China’s largest auto manufacturers and it also owns Lotus, Volvo and Polestar. Hence the decision to collaborate with its Swedish factories to create the Lynk & Co brand.
Currently Lynk & co has five vehicles and one concept car in its lineup, and the names are numerical numbers: 01, 02, 03, 05, 06 and zero concept. You know it is a Chinese brand when it skips the number 4 (the word four sounds like the word like death in Chinese).
The Development and Success of the Lynk & Co 03
As mentioned, the Lynk & Co brand, and specifically the 03, was created to change the younger generation’s view on Chinese sports cars. The goal was to prove to them that China could create an affordable, fast car.
The development of the 03 was done in close collaboration with the Swedish racing team Polestar, now called Cyan Racing. The brand is also utilizing CMA (compact modular architecture) to further increase productivity and efficiency. CMA allows research and development data to be implemented throughout the entire lineup.
Fast forward to Summer 2019 and they completed their mission of creating a Chinese sports car. Lynk & Co’s 03 tested and broke records at the Nürburgring track with a lap time of 7 minutes and 20.1 seconds. To put it into perspective, the former category record holder, a Honda Civic Type R, completed it in 7 minutes and 44 seconds. The Lynk & Co 03 actually broke two records—one for the fastest in a front-drive car and the other for the fastest lap in a four-door sedan.
Later on, in December that year, the same model entered the FIA World Touring Car Cup and won. Lynk & Co became the first Chinese manufacturer to win an FIA world title win.
Did it Succeed in Capturing Young Consumers’ Attention?
Geely’s effort to create a brand that is popular among young consumers has succeeded. By breaking records and winning titles, it has really proven it can hold its own against international brands. But beyond this, there are also some other more practical reasons why consumers like the Lynk & Co 03.
One is the price. The most popular high-performance model 03+ AWD is around $27,220 – US$30,337 USD in the China market depending on the options. A direct competitor will be the front wheel drive Honda Civic Type R, that is around $37,895 – $43,995 USD in China.
Another reason is that unlike some other sports car brands, Lynk & Co is also very technology oriented. It has incorporated features such as digital key apps and selfie cameras inside the car to further align itself with young people’s trendy lifestyle.
The exterior and interior design of the 03+ is also millennial oriented. On the outside, there is a large carbon fiber wing that says down force on the side. It has quad tip exhaust that definitely screams individuality. On the inside, soft alkantara skinned sports bucket seats and large high-definition center touch screens combines sportiness and technology.
China Can Make High Quality Vehicles Too
I have observed the growth of the Chinese automotive industry from within and from abroad, and there are a lot of misconceptions about China’s manufacturing capability. Here in the West, people tend to think China only makes cheap goods with inferior quality.
Yes, I am not going to deny it, there is a lot of cheap stuff coming out of China, but that’s not because China can’t make quality products, it’s because global retailers and brands come to China trying to squeeze out profit by blindly decreasing production cost. As a result, Chinese manufacturers swap out high-quality materials with inferior materials, well thought out design becomes simple minded.
As a result, this has affected the reputation of Chinese goods and brands around the world. But that’s changing, starting from within. 20 years ago, Chinese consumers would quickly choose price over quality. However, nowadays the Chinese consumer demands quality over anything else. As a result, more and more Chinese brands are realizing high quality means high demand. They are going the extra mile to prove to both Chinese consumers and the world that that China can create world-class, record-setting products.
