Lynk & Co 500bhp 03 in the offing – looks like a VERY quick Volvo S40

Lynk & Co, Geely’s subscription-based Chinese maker of re-worked Volvos, is going racing with the TCR 03, set to spawn a 500bhp road car.

You might have thought that Lynk & Co, Geely’s Chinese take on Volvo offering subscription model ‘sales’, would be focusing on very mainstream cars, like the Lynk & Co 01 and 02 Crossovers. But it seems not.

In fact, Lynk & Co look to be going all out to create a performance halo for the brand and are taking the yet-to-arrive Lynk & Co 03 model racing with WTCR in 2019, in conjunction with Cyan Racing, and intend to deliver a 500bhp road car from the development of the TCR 03.

Although the fact Lynk & Co is going racing with the 03 TCR is very interesting, perhaps what is more interesting is that they are promising a road car with 500bhp to follow which, we assume, will still use the same 2.0 litre petrol engine you already find in both Volvo and L&C road cars.

Until now, the most powerful regular setup for the 2.0 litre engine is in the T8 Twin Engine models from Volvo – like the Volvo XC90 T8 – where a bit over 300bhp from the ICE combines with another 100bhp or so from an electric motor to deliver decent performance and economy. But we know Volvo can do more with the engine.

As far back as 2014, Volvo demonstrated it can deliver 450bhp or so just from the ICE engine thanks to high pressure fuel injection and an additional electric turbo. Mate that to an electric motor on the back axle and you have the promise of getting on for 600bhp possible.

With the Lynk & Co 03 based on the Volvo 40 Series Platform, it does hold the prospect of a very quick Volvo S40 at some point, and perhaps properly powerful versions of the S60, S90 and more.

All of which is more appealing than the prospect of Lynk & Co going racing with Cyan Racing and delivering a 500bhp Lynk & Co 03.

And the Volvos will be so much better looking than the odd-nosed Lynk & Co cars.