Lynk & Co has marked its entry into rallying with a win at the 2026 China Rally Championship (CRC) opener in Huairou, Beijing, held from August 28 to 30. The brand fielded seven 07GT rally academy cars in the S7 class and its own Lynk & Co Rally Challenge Program, according to Sina Auto.
First Rally Outing Ends in Victory
The crew of Liu Yu (NANA) and Wang Xie (JACKY) from the Speedsters team took the overall win in the Lynk & Co Rally Challenge, finishing ahead of Qu Zhibin/Wen Zhitao and He Jingjing/Li Jinxiu in second and third. The result extends Lynk & Co's motorsport portfolio beyond circuit racing, where it has accumulated nine titles in seven years, making it the only Chinese brand competing at a high level in both disciplines.
The rally covered approximately 488.53 kilometers, with 157.24 kilometers of special stages, including the Ruisi super special stage and mountain stages featuring continuous blind corners, elevation changes, and mixed surfaces. The challenging conditions tested the cars' reliability and the crews' navigation skills.
The entry list included a mix of experienced and amateur drivers, such as Asia-Pacific Rally Champion Lin Dewei, who served as chief instructor at the Lynk & Co Rally Academy, Gao Huayang, the inspiration for the film "Pegasus," and Canadian driver Alex Paquette. Lin's crew led after the wet super special stage on Friday, but the Speedsters pair took the lead on Saturday's mountain stages and held it to the finish. Lin's crew earned the "Best Sportsmanship Award" after stopping to help extinguish a fire from an accident ahead on SS7.
Production Hybrid System Proven in Rally Conditions
The 07GT rally cars, developed jointly by Lynk & Co and the Starspeed team, retained the production car's original EM-P intelligent hybrid powertrain. This includes a 1.5T EVO hybrid-specific engine, a 3DHT Evo transmission, and dual-motor eAWD all-wheel drive, producing a system output of 390 kW and 765 Nm of torque. The cars were fitted with roll cages, racing seats, and four-piston brakes, while Lynk & Co's research institute recalibrated the powertrain and electronic controls for sustained high-load conditions, focusing on four-wheel-drive distribution, energy, and thermal management.
Four 07GT rally cars completed the event, validating the production EM-P hybrid system and vehicle architecture in real rally conditions. Lynk & Co says the experience gained in chassis, electronic control, and thermal management will feed back into production models, reinforcing its claim that "a wagon that can rally is a better wagon to drive."
The 07GT, launched on July 23, 2026, has been a strong seller: pre-orders exceeded 35,000 units in 24 days, over 10,000 firm orders were placed within 27 minutes of launch, and the 10,000th car rolled off the line just 27 days later. It was Lynk & Co's best-selling model in July with 4,175 units delivered, boosting the brand's presence in the Chinese wagon segment.
Beyond racing, Lynk & Co is building a four-tier driver development system through its rally academy and performance car club, aiming to lower the barrier to entry for rallying and nurture future champions. The 07GT rally cars will be used for license training, allowing enthusiasts to train, practice, and compete in the same platform.
Based on reporting by 新浪汽车. Edited and published in English by geisou.
