This Chinese electric car has just been delivered to its first customer: it’s modeled after the legendary Lancia Stratos

The SC01 is no longer just a Chinese curiosity. The first production version intended for a customer has just been delivered in Shanghai. This marks a symbolic milestone for this small electric sports car, whose design is heavily inspired by the legendary Lancia Stratos, to the point that many media outlets are calling it the "Chinese Stratos.".

From Promise to the Road

We've already told you about the SC01 last January. At the time, the project certainly piqued people’s curiosity: a lightweight Chinese electric sports car, backed in particular by Xiaomi, with production slated to take place in Italy and a design that looked like it came straight out of the 1970s.

Today, the project is taking on a much more concrete form. As shown by the blue car photographed in Shanghai, the first production SC01 intended for a customer has been delivered. The small coupe is thus gradually moving beyond the status of an exotic concept car to become a true production vehicle.

And it’s hard to miss its main source of inspiration. With its sloping nose, steeply raked windshield, compact roofline, and the proportions of a small mid-engine sports car, the SC01 immediately brings to mind the Lancia Stratos. It’s a modern, electric take on the Italian formula, even though there’s obviously no official connection between the two models.

An electric car designed above all to be lightweight

The SC01’s philosophy stands in stark contrast to that of many electric sports cars. Here, there’s no attempt to compensate for enormous weight with insane power. The coupe is built on a tubular steel chassis and keeps its weight to around 1,365 to 1,380 kg, depending on the announced configurations.

Its 60-kWh battery is mounted behind the two occupants, between the axles, to replicate the handling and weight distribution of a mid-engine sports car. It powers two electric motors that together deliver 429 ch and 560 Nm. That’s enough to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.9 seconds.

Even more surprising, the driver can use both motors to achieve all-wheel drive, but can also choose to drive in rear-wheel or front-wheel drive mode. The double-wishbone suspensions are also adjustable. The interior follows the same philosophy. No huge central screen, few gadgets, and even a mechanical parking brake: priority is given to the driver rather than to onboard technology.

Europe is growing closer, but the project is evolving

However, the situation in Europe has become clearer since the beginning of the year. In the United Kingdom, the Small Sports Car Company has just obtained import rights. The first British right-hand-drive cars are expected to arrive starting in April 2027, with a price tag reportedly around 50,000 pounds.

The British market is expected to remain niche, with a target of about 160 units in the first year and up to 360 cars per year eventually. The SC01 is already on sale in China for around 229,800 yuan, or approximately 28,000 euros. Its range there is advertised as 500 km according to the highly optimistic CLTC cycle.

This first delivery in Shanghai is therefore far from insignificant. Above all, it proves that this unlikely «Chinese Stratos» is now a reality in the hands of customers. It remains to be seen whether its formula—combining lightness, simplicity, and performance—will win over European drivers when the SC01 hits our roads.