When you think of the best supercars in the world, you probably think of Italy. But with hypercars making the transition to electric power and China proving rather proficient at making EVs, maybe China and Italy should work together on building the hypercar of the future. Well, that's exactly what new engineering and design startup Silk EV has in mind.

With headquarters in Italy's Motor Valley and technical expertise from China, the brand seems to have the making of an excellent recipe for success. But more than just bringing a new electric hypercar into the world, this coalition has broad economic and political potential.

The project that Silk EV wants to bring to life is called the S9, an "ultra-luxury hypercar" to be co-developed First Automobile Works (FAW) in the region where Lamborghini and Ferrari have made their homes. But the S9 will fall under the Hongqi brand, which was formerly exclusively available to high-ranking Chinese government officials. Thus far, the only details we have on the S9 are its name and the above teaser image, but if earlier details from last year are to be believed, we can expect 1,400 horsepower and a production run of just 70 units. It won't be cheap though - our earlier report estimated a price of around $1.45 million each. But then again, neither is the Lotus Evija.

The car is part of a bigger plan than just making some money off a couple of cars for the super-rich. With its location, Silk EV is an anchor point for China's Belt and Road initiative, which is a massive undertaking aiming to build infrastructure projects across Asia, Europe, and Africa, that combined would roughly trace the old Silk Road. These projects will vary in size, scope, and locale, and will include railways, hydropower plants, dams, and bridges. Choosing Italy as the new hypercar's birthplace makes political sense too, as Italy was the first of the G7 to endorse this Belt and Road initiative. If any new hypercar brand has the support to succeed, this is it.