About a year ago, we learned about a Chinese startup called Small Sports Car (SSC), which had plans to create an electric vehicle that lived up to its own name. Looking like a cross between a Lancia Stratos and a first-generation Tesla Roadster (itself based on the Lotus Elise of the time), the renderings cut an impressive figure, but we hadn’t heard much from them since then.
However, SSC is back with photos of what it claims is the production-ready version of its first model, the SC-01. The good news is it looks pretty much as we remembered, combining the compact wedge shape of the Stratos with the proportions, angularity, and the roofline of the first Tesla.
Even more impressive is SSC’s intention to offer its electric sports car for under ¥300,000 (equivalent to US$41,029 at the current exchange rates), reports China’s Autohome. With a mid-mounted battery and up to 429 hp (320 kW/435 PS), it should be a smoking deal for the EV enthusiasts out there.
Read: The SSC SC-01 Is A $42,000 Chinese Electric Sports Car With 429HP
To help it handle the road, it will reportedly get horizontally-mounted pushrod suspension. Unlike many other electric vehicles, the SC-01 won’t be based on a skateboard platform. Instead, its batteries will be located in a lump in the middle of the vehicle, providing a more traditional sports car feel. While that raises the center of gravity as compared to other EVs, it does mean that the driver will be able to sit lower in the car.
Simultaneously, the utilization of tubular space frame construction around both the batteries and the driver is set to create a highly rigid and lightweight vehicle. SSC has set its sights on achieving a curb weight of merely 2,866 lbs (1,300 kg), which is about 530 lbs (240 kg) lighter than the internal combustion engine-powered Audi TT.
Although the size of the battery still has not been revealed, Small Sports Car claimed in 2022 that it was aiming for a range of 310 miles (500 km) on the NEDC cycle, which should more than enough for a very rewarding Sunday drive.
Production of the SC-01 is planned to begin before the year is out. Unfortunately, we still don’t know if the automaker plans to sell the car outside of China. If it hopes to sell in the U.S. it will have both a 27.5 percent tariff and a likely name change to contend with.
