The Biden administration may not be very welcoming to Chinese EVs, what with its 100% import tax, but that hasn’t stopped them from entering other countries—like, for example, Germany. Specifically, the Nürburgring, where BYD’s Yangwang U9 electric supercar was recently spotted doing a bit of testing.
Normally, a new performance car making its rounds around the ‘Ring would hardly be news. But this is a Chinese supercar, a relatively new thing that exists now, from one of the world’s fastest-growing automakers. And its presence at the Nordschleife not only shows how serious BYD is about the U9’s performance and handling, but also signals how serious the company is about, well, being taken seriously. The U9 is real, the U9 is here, and you can watch its brakes glow bombing down into Fuchsröhre.
Yangwang—BYD’s ultra-luxury brand whose name literally translates to “look up”—builds the U8 plug-in hybrid SUV and the U9 supercar. The U9 makes nearly 1,300 horsepower from four electric motors hooked up to a 80-kWh BYD “Blade” lithium iron phosphate battery. It apparently gets from zero to 62 mph in 2.36 seconds, covers the quarter mile in 9.78, and has a top speed of 192 mph. Under the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC), it’s good for 280 miles of range.
It can also drive on three wheels and jump.
Starting at the equivalent of about $230,000 in its home country, the Yangwang U9 is built on an 800-volt architecture and supports fast charging at speeds of up to 500 kW as well as dual charging—that is, two chargers simultaneously. BYD claims it can go from 30% to 80% charge in just 10 minutes—impressive, considering I’m not entirely sure my iPhone can even do that.
Oh, and before you call it a knockoff McLaren, the U9 was designed by a man named Wolfgang Egger, the former design boss at Alfa Romeo, Audi, and Lamborghini whose resume includes the Alfa 8C Competizione.
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach him here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com