The 1300 HP Yangwang U9 Chinese Electric Super Car Is Coming For FerrariIssuing time:2024-01-29 16:13 What is it? As someone who covers cars from Chinese brands, there are certain types of vehicles that I simply don't get to talk about, because they don't make them. There has, for example, been a dearth of super cars from Chinese brands. But that is about to change, thanks in part to the all-electric Yangwang U9 supercar.
More power than a Bugatti Veyron Yangwang is the halo brand for BYD, China's largest manufacturer of electric vehicles, and while we don't know exactly how much it's going to cost when it hits the Chinese market later this year, we do know it will be over 1 million RMB or 140,000 USD. That's a lot of money unless you're talking about an electric supercar with 960 kW (1300 HP) from four electric motors. It uses the same e4 system in the electric powertrain that's underneath the Yangwang U8 super SUV that's already on sale here in the Chinese market. Unlike the U8, the U9 is a pure EV, not an extended-range electric vehicle. It measures 5m in length, nearly 20cm longer than a Ferrari LaFerrari, and underneath its 3-meter wheelbase is a 100-kilowatt hour LFP blade battery from a BYD subsidiary called FinDreams. According to BYD, it will provide a CLTC range of 700 km. That big battery also means a big curb weight of 2475kg (5,000 lbs.). Its body is made up of a combination of carbon fiber and aluminum, while we don’t know exactly what's aluminum and what's carbon fiber, there are quite a few carbon fiber components visible from that outside. That includes the front lip spoiler, carbon fiber roof, and the piece de resistance, the huge carbon fiber rear wing of this race track version. There will also be a street version with an electrically deployable rear spoiler. Regardless of which one you choose, the U9 will have active aero, including under the flaps under the rear diffuser. The U9 should be more than comfortable on a race track, and not just because of that huge wing. In addition to its quad motor e4 powertrain, it also features DISUS-X intelligent body control, the brand’s all-new hydraulic suspension system. Like the hydraulic suspension on a classic Citroen DS, DiSus-X allows the U9 to drive on three wheels. It also allows for less practical maneuvers, like dancing and even jumping into the air. Only time and test drive will tell if it’s got performance to back up all those theatrics. Outside super car, inside mainstream sedan Open the electrically operated butterfly doors and you will be greeted with an interior that feels a bit out of step with the exterior design. It certainly looks the part of a super car, with large vertical center screen and a digital rear view mirror (a necessity since the U9 has no rear window). There is also a passenger screen with everything you’d expect from a Chinese electric vehicle, including the ability to display movies, TV shows, and navigation. Compare that to the passenger screens in most super cars, which only display driving data like speed. Then again, if you are riding in this car and you are looking at that screen watching a movie instead of experiencing the drive, there’s probably something wrong with you. The vertical center screen allows you to control the expected functions, including phone, navigation, and media. The most interesting button, however, is labeled “e4”. This opens the menu for the U9’s quad motor powertrain, and it’s filled with fun options like tank turn and Competition Mode. By tank turn, I do mean that the U9 can turn in place by spinning the tires on either side in opposite directions. As for Competition Mode, it activates launch control, allowing the U9 to achieve its quickest 0-100 km/h times. As for how fast that time would be, Yangwang has yet to release a specific time, only saying that it will be in the 2-second range. Switching between driving modes is accomplished via the small knob below the vertical screen, within which is a small LED screen. Modes include Comfort, Sport, Snow, and even Eco. That last mode seems a bit out of place on a 1300-horsepower super car, but it is still an EV. Below that is a panel containing several touch buttons, including one for e4, one for auto parking (useful on a giant car with no rear window), and one for the DiSus-P hydraulic suspension system. Takeaway While the interior of this U9 is not the final production spec, it should give us a glimpse at what it will be like when it reaches customer hands later this year. The short answer is, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. When you make a super car that undercuts the competition by tens of thousands of dollars, something has to give, and it seems clear that the U9 isn’t going to provide the same level of material quality you’d find in a much more expensive Ferrari. The question that remains is, will the U9 be able to pull a Corvette, and offer a driving experience that makes up for the plasticky interior?
Article classification:
Electric Vehicles
|