Silk EV and First Automobile Works (FAW) are set to design and build the Hongqi S9 hybrid hypercar in the heart of Italy’s Motor Valley, the Emilia-Romagna region, which is already home to Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani.

The Silk-FAW joint venture will seemingly aim for such supercars and the ultra-premium class, with the development of other electric and hybrid cars under the Hongqi S line.

It’s an ambitious plan and one that may set off geopolitical alarm bells as it’s another way in which China’s Belt & Road Initiate expands. According to the BBC, Italy was the first European nation to sign up to be a part of the new “Silk Road” and has received significant investment from China already. And with FAW, China’s original state-owned automobile manufacture, involved, there’s little question as to where the commitment of €1 billion originates.

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Hongqi S9 Concept

However, for fans of new challenger automobile entrants, the arrival of a new line of “ultra-luxury, high-performance, new energy sports vehicles” can only be good news. No performance figures were revealed, but the new hypercar will probably headline FAW’s plan to sell 1 million vehicles under the Hongqi brand by 2030.

The Hongqi nameplate may be unfamiliar to those in the West, but in China its cars were once only available to those in high ranking positions of government. FAW, Hongqi’s parent company, is one of the big-four manufacturers in China and has produced vehicles with Audi, Mazda and Toyota for the domestic market. However, with limited presence overseas, a lot will ride on the Silk-FAW partnership.

See Also: The Hongqi H9’s Grille Dwarfs The BMW 7-Series’ Kidneys

Famed Italian designer Walter de Silva, who’s responsible for cars such as the Alfa Romeo 156, VW Scirocco and Audi R8 and A5, among others, has been appointed Vice President of Styling and Design for the Silk-FAW JV.

“I am excited to be designing the Hongqi’ S’ series of new energy vehicles,” stated De Silva in a press release. “We are in the final styling phase for the Hongqi S9. The S9 has core elements of beauty and elegance, ultimately embracing the ‘Essence of Beauty’. China and Italy are leading automobile innovation with this joint venture, establishing a new cultural model that believes in the beauty of design and technology as the link between these two great countries.”

Watch this space for more details.


Hongqi S9 Concept