BYD’s Denza confirms Porsche 911 rival for 2027 UK launch
Denza will reveal a new flagship sports coupé at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next summer, before launching it in Europe the following year.
Denza is Chinese giant BYD’s answer to BMW and Mercedes-Benz and will come to the UK next year with the Z9 GT shooting brake, D9 luxury MPV and B5 SUV – before adding the ‘Z’ supercar shortly after as a halo model.
The brand revealed a concept previewing the ‘Z’ at the Shanghai motor show earlier this year, revealing that it will be a performance-focused electric two-door in the vein of the Porsche 911 and Mercedes-AMG GT.
Technical details were thin on the ground, but Denza said it has steer-by-wire technology, magnetorheological suspension and a driver-focused, tech-heavy cockpit that majors on advanced technology.
Features likely to be carried over from the Z9 GT include the ability to ‘crab walk’ and ‘tank turn’, and it’s possible the ‘Z’ could take that car’s tri-motor powertrain and ramp up output beyond its 952bhp.
Shortly after the concept’s unveiling, prototypes of the production car were spotted at the Nürburgring, sparking speculation that a lap record attempt and possibly a European launch were on the cards – and now BYD executive vice-president Stella Li has confirmed to Autocar that it will come to the UK.
Asked if the ‘Z’ could play an important role as a brand-building halo model for Denza in Europe, Li replied: “We’d like to invite you to Goodwood…”, before confirming the car would be displayed there in July and then head to showrooms.
The concept was called the Z, but Li said the final name for the production car remains “confidential” and could be different.
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It will play an important role in cementing Denza’s premium and performance credentials in Europe, with Li touting the brand’s emphasis on technical capability as an edge over established marques.
“If you think about other brands, when they launch a new premium car, they just make the engine more powerful and the interior design more emotional; there is no fundamental revolution,” she said.
By contrast, Li touted the Z9’s ability to tank-turn, drift, drive semi-autonomously, accelerate from 0-62mph in 2.7sec and ‘flash charge’ at super-high speed as testament to Denza’s technical superiority – which will be a key marketing pillar for the brand.
“This is using technology to really redefine elegance,” she said. “For an emotional connection, this is what we have. We will make people say ‘this is the car I really want to try’.”
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