This Chinese Sports Car Pushes 429 BHP & Costs Less Than A Corvette Or Mustang GT

There are plenty of Chinese cars we wish were sold in the U.S., and now there's another to add to the list. The SC01 is a fully electric sports car with dual motors pushing 429 BHP that, with a starting price tag of 229,800 Yuan (approximately $34,000), costs less in China than a Corvette or Mustang GT. Resembling a cross between a Lancia Stratos and a Lotus Elise, the SC01 (known at the JMEV 01 in China) is the work of the Small Sports Car Company (SSCC), which is partially backed by electronics giant Xiaomi.

Arresting lines aside, the SC01 is packed with tantalizing vital statistics. It'll get its 3,000 pounds of curb weight from 0-62 mph in 2.9 seconds, for instance, thanks to dual motors delivering 560 Nm of torque and powered by a 60 kWh battery. That battery should also provide up to 300+ miles of range — depending on how often you deploy the SC01's sprinting capabilities, of course, and we expect that may prove tempting to do often enough to cut the range significantly.

The SC01 was created by designer Feng Xiaotong and SSCC is led by veteran automotive executive Mark Cotton, who's worked for the likes of Bentley, BMW, and McLaren. The pair say the SC01 takes inspiration from British sports cars of yore, and its relatively bare-bones interior is deliberate. "Less mass, more drive, and no driver interference systems — the SC01 is compact, lightweight and engineered around driving enjoyment — rather than technology for technology's sake," Cotton says. "Its lightweight chassis, carefully tuned suspension and direct steering deliver a pure connection between driver, machine and road."

Because all Chinese automakers are effectively barred from the U.S. thanks to prohibitive regulations surrounding connected vehicles and high tariffs (up to 100% on EVs), it's unlikely we'll see an SC01 on U.S. roads anytime soon, or ever. Which is a shame, because although there are heaps of Chinese-made cars with U.S. equivalents, there's nothing like the SC01. Despite being an extremely car-centric nation, the U.S. is home to zero EV sports cars or roadsters.

Tesla has been promising a new Roadster for nine years and counting, but even the company's well-heeled devotees who ponied up $50,000 deposits are running out of patience and asking for their money back at this point. Last November, Tesla job listings appeared that suggested the company hasn't given up on the Roadster, but also tacitly admitted the car is "still in its early development stages." Also, we'd argue "Roadster" is a misnomer. Really, Tesla's promised sports car is a 2+2 coupe, given it has two full-sized front seats and two small rear seats. But whatever you want to call it, until it rolls off the production line, it remains vaporware.

Meanwhile, if enacted, a new bill called the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 aims to prohibit connected vehicles originating from (or controlled by) China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia from entering the U.S. market beginning in 2027. So, if you want to drive an SC01, or anything like it, you'll have to visit China, Europe, or the U.K. The U.K is set to import a limited number of the 1,000 SC01s slated for the European market next year. That sounds like as good an excuse for a holiday as any. The hard part is going to be convincing an SC01 owner to let you take it for a spin.