BYD’s Denza Z Is The 1,000-HP Roadster Tesla Refuses To Build

Tesla has continually postponed the second-gen Roadster. Now, China’s BYD is stepping up with a spec monster.

Photo by: Motor1 Brasil

Iulian Dnistran

By: Iulian Dnistran

Apr 27, at 8:09am ET

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China’s BYD has revealed the Denza Z, an electric convertible with over 1,000 hp.
Unlike the perpetually delayed Tesla Roadster, the Z will be offered in coupe, convertible, and track-focused versions.
It comes with BYD’s “Flash” charging tech, enabling it to fully charge in just a few minutes.

Although it’s not official, it sure feels like Tesla has pretty much given up on the second-generation Roadster. Granted, building robots and writing software for artificial intelligence might be more lucrative than making a two-door performance EV, but that hasn’t stopped China’s BYD from trying.

This is the Denza Z, a Maserati-like all-electric supercar that debuted in production form at this year’s Beijing Auto Salon. It’s bound to make a dynamic debut later this year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the United Kingdom, and—rather untraditionally—BYD is prioritizing Europe over its home market for this car.

Gallery: Denza Z at the Beijing Auto Show

Source: Motor1 Brasil

It’s quite a striking car, with a rear that resembles Ferrari’s latest and a front end that might fool someone into thinking this is actually a Lamborghini. That said, this is nothing like China’s cars of yesteryear, when poorly made copycats were the name of the game.

No, this is as serious as they get. Full technical details are not yet ready, but it’s clear that BYD is not messing around. We’re talking about a combined output of around 1,000 horsepower, a fancy DiSus-M electromagnetic suspension, the latest “God’s Eye” driver assistance system, and a battery pack that’s compatible with BYD’s “Flash” chargers, which deliver 1,500 kilowatts of power for sub-10-minute top-ups.

The Chinese auto giant advertises a zero-to-60 miles per hour sprint in under two seconds, putting it squarely in the same category as the yet-to-materialize Tesla Roadster 2.0. Denza said the Z will be offered in three versions: a traditional coupe, a soft-top convertible, and a “track” variant, though the only body style to be unveiled is the drop-top.

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Based on the same e3 platform as the Denza Z9GT electric wagon, the Z two-door will have a drift mode, along with “tank turn” and automated driving capabilities. There’s no word on how big the battery on the electric supercar is, or how fast it can charge, but these details are expected to be revealed in July.

Pricing is also expected to be on BYD’s side, with local estimates placing the Z at roughly $65,000 on the Chinese market. That’s a lot cheaper than rivals like the Maserati GranCabrio, which starts from over $350,000, but the jury is still out on whether the Chinese convertible will keep its price advantage when it lands in Europe later this year.