Whatever happened to this mysterious 1,400bhp V8 hypercar?

What is it?

A red flag. No, really. Hongqi, the luxury offshoot of the state-owned ‘China First Automotive Works Corp’ translates into English as ‘red flag’. To them, it’s a sign of good luck, not a warning. Hongqi mainly shills wannabe Bentley barges, but in 2021 it promised a hypercar designed by Audi R8 scribbler Walter de Silva.

Did they actually build any?

So far... no. In 2023 a model popped up at a posh Italian concours event. The pure electric setup had apparently been binned off, for a 1,400bhp hybrid V8 good for 0–60 in 1.9secs and 250mph flat out. With that agreed, the price was set with 99 units, for a million quid a pop.

Where are they now?

Hongqi is still churning out the plutocratmobiles, but there’s no sign of the S9 on its website, nor on any concours lawns. Meanwhile, the 300+mph Yangwang U9 has utterly legged it with the Chinese hypercar hype headlines...