Lynk & Co, the fledgling brand from the Chinese automotive giant Geely – which also owns Volvo and Lotus – will be contesting the 2019 WTCR championship. Its car, the 03 TCR sedan, had its first circuit tests last week.
Drivers Yvan Muller and Thed Björk have been behind the wheel of the car during the tests, at Mantorp Park in Sweden and Estoril in Portugal. Further testing will take place through winter on various tracks.
“The feeling when turning the first laps of an all-new race car is fantastic and I must say the Lynk & Co 03 TCR has lived up to my expectations. Geely Group Motorsport has done a great job so far and we can’t wait to get going, as we are no doubt facing one of the toughest seasons in the history of touring car racing,” said Björk.
As its name suggests, the 03 is Lynk & Co’s third car. The 01 and 02 SUVs are already on sale in China, with the 03 sedan to follow. Unlike most Chinese cars, Lynk & Co cars will also come to Europe and a motorsport presence should certainly help with brand recognition. The road cars share the ‘CMA’ architecture and engine range with smaller Volvo models such as the XC40.
The WTCR car will be run by Cyan Racing, which was founded in 1996 and was known as Polestar until Volvo Cars acquired the performance section and trademark in 2015.
