New electric SC01 sports car is inbound
Lighter than an Alpine A290, 435hp, and a 'driver-focused philosophy' - might this be the Chinese EV for PH?
Barely a day passes in 2026 without a new electric car from China. Most are as interesting as compulsory data privacy training, but glimmers of hope are emerging in the form of cars like the Denza Z Racing. That being said, the market for a 1,600hp, £175k EV is going to be small; hoping to court broader appeal is this, the SC01. Built in China and destined to be marketed here by the Small Sports Car Company, the SC01 has been ‘inspired by the lightweight philosophy pioneered by generations of British motorsport innovators.’
That’s not just light by EV standards, either, as the claimed kerbweight is said to be 1,365kg - or just the sort of figure Alpine is aiming at for its electric A110. And one Porsche would be thrilled to get for its 718 EVs. An MG Cyberster, a different prospect to the SC01 but the only real battery-powered Chinese sports car so far, is from 1,885kg.
We're told this will be a dual motor, all-wheel drive offering at launch, with 435hp meaning 0-62mph in less than three seconds. Decent range, too: 500km, or 311 miles, on the Chinese CLTC test, which tends to yield lower forecasts than WLTP. There’s no word on battery size or charging for the moment (somewhat breathless coverage elsewhere suggests we're looking at 60kWh), though it could be argued that a headlin-grabbing DC rate isn’t so important for a car that’ll likely be driven to home from home. It’s hardly going to be slogging up and down motorways.
According to the Small Sports Car Company’s release, the SC01 will boast double wishbone suspension, a steel spaceframe chassis and a ‘driver-focused philosophy’. Nothing that hasn't been claimed a dozen times before for two-door coupes, if nice to hear when it comes to the electric era and so many attempted wheel reinventions. Sometimes the old ways are still the best, even with a new power source.
Small Sports Car Company CEO, Mark Cotton, added: “The SC01 is a back-to-basics driver’s car for the electrified generation with the promise to reignite everything enthusiasts love about driving. Less mass, more drive, and no driver interference systems – the SC01 is compact, lightweight and engineered around driving enjoyment – rather than technology for technology’s sake. Its lightweight chassis, carefully tuned suspension and direct steering deliver a pure connection between driver, machine and road.”
So they’re saying all the right things, and the SC01 isn’t some pie-in-the-sky vision, either: apparently the first prototypes will be in the UK for testing before the end of the year, with right-hand-drive deliveries from April. Which, as your dentist will tell you, isn’t actually that many months away. Price and spec are set to follow in due course. Stay tuned…
but I will probably never be able to afford it.
What do we reckon ?
Back to basics
Simple & light
North of £90k?
Would be interesting to see what its actual range is when driving on track as this is the market it is aimed at in all reality.
China is blanket saturating the euro car markets and crushing our domestic brands...they play the long game and are very dangerous, our weak politicians allow this to happen to gain favour hoping China will lend them money...just look what Starmer did.
Huge tariffs or build a factory here and make them...jobs for the boys and revenue for tax-man.
A steel spaceframe chassis sounds a bit low-tech for 2026, but if that's how they'll keep the costs down then fine by me, something to look forward to when affordable sportscars are now few and far between.
The point is that a light-ish electric sports car could well be, wait for it... a fun electric sports car. In my view (maybe not yours), the rather worn out and tedious cheap Chinese tat figure of speech has long since had its day.
Judge it on what it actually is and what it does. And we'll have to wait for them to arrive to do that.
It is light, not that expensive, looks sporty, probably drives very well, and it is LIGHT! Whats not to like?
Oh, sorry, no 3/4pot turbo wheezer inside... Which would be better somehow for some people here?
It is light, not that expensive, looks sporty, probably drives very well, and it is LIGHT! Whats not to like?
Oh, sorry, no 3/4pot turbo wheezer inside... Which would be better somehow for some people here?
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