The Last Automaker You Expect Wants To Race At Le Mans

The draw is so strong that it has even brought in Toyota, and now Genesis, looking to show what they can do. But the next entrant could be one we would never have expected. Chinese brand called Chery is headed to France.

Chery Sells Lots Of Cars, So It's Time To Go Racing

Chery is a brand you're probably never heard of, but at home in China it sold 2.6 million vehicles last year. That's more vehicles than Ford sold in the US last year, making it a big deal.

To help raise its profile outside its home market, Chery has just signed a five-year deal with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest. ACO is the organization that runs the Le Mans race, and it's a strong commitment from Chery to racing and the event.

The new plan involves Chery's Exeed brand. Exeed is the company's luxury division, but you won't find any high-end Exeed GT cars. It builds four SUV models, all of which are gas-powered, which is unusual for a Chinese automaker these days.

Chery plans to start an Exeed racing factory team, much like the team Genesis is currently building. It plans to be the first Chinese automaker to compete at Le Mans, which is a big step for the brand and, really, for the country's auto industry. If the cars finish well, that is.

Exeed also plans to start a new endurance racing series in China. Motorsports are still quite limited in the country, and the company says that a new series will help develop technical capability and talent. It could inspire a new generation of performance car designers and engineers.

Lastly, Chery plans to enter Exeed in the Asian Le Mans Series. That series has multiple car classes. Last year it held races in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Malaysia. It has previously raced in Japan, South Korea, and China.

Deal Means New Track, New Engineering

Chery also hopes to work with ACO to build a new track that is up to the standards of the series, which means sufficient safety measures, as well as things like grandstand and garage capacity. The track will be built in Wuhu, China, Chery's home city.

In an announcement, Chery said it hoped to focus on technology development. This won't be the company putting its name on someone else's car. It wants to learn about durability, efficiency, and reliability in one of the toughest racing events in the world. The automaker also said it was part of its "broader ambition to transition from vehicle exporter to a global automotive technology player."

The announcement didn't give a class. Le Mans currently has three main classes, and Chery's desire to learn probably eliminates LMP2, which uses one of four spec chassis and a spec engine. LMP1 cars can use their own chassis and engines, while LMGT3 uses production-based sports cars like the Porsche 911, Chevrolet Corvette, and others.