Volvo's Racing Division Isn't Just Doing Volvo Race Cars Anymore

0 0 Editorial Team October 21, 2018 Edit this post

By Joseph Capparella, Car and Driver

Volvo's racing team has gone through some confusing twists and turns lately. Previously an independent company called Polestar, the Swedish automaker's racing division is now part of Volvo and called Cyan Racing—while Polestar is now its own brand that's focusing on electrified cars. Got it?

Now, Cyan Racing has turned its attention to yet another part of the Volvo (and its Chinese owner, Geely) empire, the Lynk & Co brand. This new concept car, a racing version of the Lynk & Co 03 sedan, previews an upcoming racing car intended for the World Touring Car Championship series. Other than the fact that it looks awesome and supposedly packs 500 horsepower, we don't know too much about it. But we can definitely admire its attractive paint scheme and athletic stance. This new racer will replace Volvo's previous entries into WTCC; the company has a long history of hotted-up racers in this series, including the 850 and the S60.

While this Europe-focused WTCC racing car may not seem relevant to the U.S. market, Lynk & Co as a whole certainly is, as plans are already in place to bring these cars to our market in the near future. We've already driven the 01 and 02 crossover models, both of which share underpinnings with the Volvo XC40, and these cars will supposedly be sold through unconventional methods on our shores. Lynk & Co says it will do without dealerships and operate on a direct-sales model, though it remains to be seen how the company will go about executing such a plan.