IM Motors said the L7 Snake Performance, built by the company's performance division, will deliver a better handling experience.
(Image credit: IM Motors)
IM Motors, the premium electric vehicle (EV) brand created by China's largest automaker SAIC and e-commerce giant Alibaba, plans to launch a performance variant of its first model, the L7, after thousands of units of the electric sedan have been delivered.
IM Motors said on October 18 that the L7 Snake Performance will be launched within the year and released several official images of the variant.
The L7 Snake Performance's exterior remains the same as the current model, but is painted in matte black to emphasize its sporty character.
IM Motors said the L7 Snake Performance was built by the company's performance sports division after a year of dedicated development.
The model comes with a high-performance braking system, high-performance sport suspension and a high-performance ride control package that includes lightweight forged wheels, the company said.
These features give the L7 a significant boost in track performance and will provide users with an even more extreme handling experience, IM Motors said.
The IM Motors L7 is a mid-size sedan with a length, width and height of 5,098 mm, 1,960 mm and 1,482 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 3,100 mm.
The company previously announced two versions of the L7, including the L7 Dynamic and L7 Pro, priced at RMB 368,800 ($51,190) and RMB 408,800, respectively.
IM Motors has not released information on the core specifications of the L7 Snake Performance. Information on its website shows that the currently available L7 is powered by dual motors with a maximum output of 425 kW and 725 Nm of torque, and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.87 seconds.
The IM Motors L7 is positioned similarly to the ET7 sedan, which Nio began delivering at the end of March, as a mid to large-size all-electric sedan. There are currently very limited models available for this market in China.
For comparison, the Nio ET7 measures 5,101 mm in length, 1,987 mm in width and 1,509 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,060 mm.
In terms of price, the IM Motors L7 is slightly cheaper than the ET7 with a battery pack included, which starts at RMB 458,000 before subsidies.
IM Motors is a joint venture between SAIC, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech and Alibaba, with SAIC holding a majority stake.
Its first model, the IM Motors L7 sedan, was available for pre-order during the Shanghai auto show last April, and deliveries began in June this year.
IM Motors delivered 1,019 L7s in September, slightly up from 1,007 in August, data it released earlier this month showed. Since June, a total of 3,077 units of the model have been delivered.
The Nio ET7 delivered 2,928 units in September, bringing the total number to 15,439 since deliveries began in March.
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