New Denza Z sports car – a 1582bhp, Chinese Porsche 911 rival
It’s not just mainstream saloons, hatchbacks and SUVs – China wants to take on Europe’s sports cars, with the new Denza Z launching in the UK
It’s clear that China is to be taken very seriously when it comes to mainstream new cars. BYDs, Omodas and Jaecoos are hoovering up sales in the hatchback, saloon and SUV markets, and now Denza – premium sub-brand of BYD – is taking on an altogether different challenge. With the new Z, it’s gunning for Europe’s sports cars with a 1582bhp 2+2 electric coupe that will go on sale in the UK this year. Should Porsche be worried?
On the face of it you’d say no, given that many manufacturers – including Porsche itself – have admitted that demand for high-end electric cars is far from where it needs to be right now. The electric 718 Cayman and Boxster are currently in limbo, Lotus has turned back on its EV-only plans and Lamborghini has cancelled its first electric car. Does an electric sports car from an unfamiliar brand have a hope of turning that around? Time will tell, but going by the specs and technical makeup of the Z, you wouldn't call it a half-hearted effort.
Launching as a Spider, Coupe and track-oriented Racing version, the Z uses Denza’s own electric sports car platform, and measures 4780mm – significantly longer than a Porsche 911, and closer to a Mercedes-AMG GT. To look at, it’s a mix of Lotus and McLaren with perhaps a hint of Bentley at the rear – not especially cohesive but certainly striking. Even more so in Racing spec, which adds a front air intake, carbonfibre splitter and a large, three-position adjustable carbon wing, making it 100mm longer.
Beneath the skin you’ll find a 76kWh battery pack, mounted in the floor and powering three motors – one 671bhp unit at the front, two 456bhp units at the rear. Total outputs are 1582bhp and 915lb ft of torque, resulting in a 2.25sec 0-62mph time and 186mph top speed. The Racing version, when fitted with optional semi-slick tyres, cuts the 62mph sprint down to 1.96sec and raises the top speed to 217mph.
Thankfully there’s sophisticated chassis and suspension tech to go with all that performance. The Z uses double wishbone suspension up front with a multi-link setup at the rear, with adaptive dampers and carbon ceramic brakes standard across all models. The Coupe and Spider use air suspension while the Racing uses more focused coil springs. The Z also makes use of torque vectoring, with the rear motors able to distribute power between the wheels independently. They also allow the Z to stabilise itself in the event of a tyre blowout, or perform a ‘compass turn’, where the car pivots around its front wheels.
Range varies across the three models, quoted at 236 miles for the Racing and 254 for the Coupe, and all Zs get BYD’s Flash Charging capability as standard. This means that at a compatible charger, the battery can be topped up from 10-97 per cent in nine minutes.
Climb inside the Z and you’ll probably reach for the seat height adjuster immediately. Sadly the floor mounted battery means you’re perched up high even in the lowest setting, but the cabin is otherwise well executed. It’s heavily digitised, with a large 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen in the centre and a digital dash ahead, but build quality is solid and there’s plenty of physical switchgear on the thin-rimmed wheel – including buttons for Boost and Track modes. The former ‘amplifies throttle torque’ by 30 per cent for 20 seconds, while the latter opens up configurability for the Z’s front-to-rear power distribution, dampers, regen, brake feel, torque vectoring and drift mode.
Despite technically being a four-seater, you wouldn’t want to carry adults in the second row – as in a Porsche 911 or AMG GT, they’re only suitable for small children. Or, if you opt for the Racing version of the Z, you can do away with the rear seats altogether and replace them with a roll cage and carbon trim.
If that’s not extreme enough, Denza has also developed a track-only version of the Z, called simply the Special Edition. With over 2000bhp, a 0-62mph time of 1.7sec and claimed downforce of over 2000kg at 186mph, it’ll be gunning for lap records at the Nürburgring this autumn.
Denza hasn’t announced how much the Z will cost, but it’d be safe to suggest it’ll deliver more performance per pound than the opposition, even if it comes with a £100k+ starting price. Whether it’ll deliver a driving experience to match a Porsche Taycan, or the best petrol sports cars, is another matter entirely.
