Exeed, a premium brand owned by Chery, announced on 15/12 that it has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the founder and organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Exeed unveiled its five-year "Road to Le Mans" initiative, with the goal of participating in this esteemed racing series.
Exeed will compete in this well-known motorsport system as a manufacturer's team, alongside Porsche, Toyota, Aston Martin, Cadillac, BMW, and other automakers.
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The Exeed Exlantix ES7 GT extended-range version. Photo: DirectoWy |
The announced plan comprises three core phases. First, Chery will launch the Exeed Unified Race, a local endurance race selection system. This step will enable the company to refine its technology, build a strong team, and identify the driving talent necessary for participation in the races.
Next, Exeed will enter the Asian Le Mans Series (ALMS). This competition features three main categories: LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype 2), LMP3 (Le Mans Prototype 3), and LMGT3 (Le Mans GT3). The final category requires automakers to produce more than 2,500 road-legal vehicles annually to be eligible for entry.
The third phase involves establishing the Exeed Le Mans team to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Chery and ACO have agreed to construct a Le Mans-standard racetrack in Vu Ho, where Chery's headquarters are located. This track will host high-level racing events in Trung Quoc. Exeed intends to use this circuit as a laboratory to enhance its mass-produced vehicle models.
Notably, Chery is set to become the first Trung Quoc company to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Interestingly, the automaker's engine lineup is not diverse. The most powerful internal combustion engine developed by Chery is a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 257 horsepower. However, the company is also advancing its C-DM plug-in hybrid technology, which achieves a combined output of 610 horsepower.
Chery is not the only company actively pursuing goals in motorsport. Geely's Lynk & Co Cyan Racing team has become the most successful team in the FIA TCR World Tour series. Cyan Racing has secured a total of 9 world titles with Geely Group Motorsport's Lynk & Co 03 TCR race car since 2019. In 2026, Cyan Racing will transition to using the new Geely Preface TCR race car.
My Anh (according to CarNewsChina)
