BYD reveal $330k Denza Z electric supercar with 1164kW

Denza has pulled the wraps off its production-ready Z Coupe, revealing an electric flagship supercar capable of embarrassing some of the world's fastest hypercars.

The four-seat coupe, which previews the future of BYD's premium brand, packs a staggering 1164kW of power and 1241Nm of torque from a three-motor all-wheel drive powertrain, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 2.25 seconds.

That's marginally bettered than the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, which claims a 2.2-second 0-100km/h time, however the only production cars with quicker claimed acceleration figures are full electric supercars such as the Rimac Nevera and Pininfarina Battista, both of which claim sub-2.0-second 0-100km/h times.

First shown as a concept at the 2025 Beijing motor show, the production Z Coupe has now been confirmed for launch in the United Kingdom later this year, where it will spearhead Denza's European expansion. A convertible Z Spider will also join the lineup.

While there's still no word on a New Zealand launch, if the brand's electric supercar were to arrive, the Z Coupe would become one of the fastest production car to go on sale here.

Denza currently offer three models locally, including the large plug-in hybrid B5 and B8 off-road SUVs and the D9 electric people mover. The range is set to grow with the Z9GT due to launch later this year, with the grand tourer boasting a 0-100km/h time of 2.7 seconds.

Denza has also unveiled an even more extreme Z Racing, version which adds a large fixed rear wing, semi-slick tyres, and recalibrated chassis tuning. It cuts the claimed 0-100km/h time to just 1.96 seconds and raises top speed from 299km/h to 349km/h.

An even more powerful Special Edition is also under development, producing a claimed 1451kW and targeting a 0-100km/h time of just 1.7 seconds, matching the claimed acceleration figure of the Aspark Owl.

Penned by former Audi design boss and current BYD global design chief Wolfgang Egger, the Z Coupe was conceived as an electric alternative to the Porsche 911.

UK pricing starts from £142,900 (~NZ$330,000) for the Coupe and £159,900 (~NZ$369,000) for the Spider, placing them in direct competition with high-end Porsche 911 variants. The hotter Racing model will start from £172,000 (~NZ$397,000).

The Z Coupe rides on BYD's e3 platform, shared with the upcoming Denza Z9 GT grand tourer. Power comes from a 76kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade battery, with the Coupe offering a claimed driving range of 409km. The Spider is rated at 399km, while the higher-performance Racing manages 380km.

One of the standout features is ultra-fast charging, with Denza claiming the battery can recharge from 10 to 97 per cent in around nine minutes when connected to a compatible high-power charger.

The Z models also introduce several advanced technologies that are new to the Denza brand.

Most notably, they ditch a conventional steering column in favour of a fully electronic steer-by-wire system, meaning there's no physical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels.

The Coupe and Spider ride on air suspension, while the Racing uses a more track-focused coil-spring setup.

All variants feature magnetorheological dampers with predictive road-scanning technology, allowing the suspension to continuously adjust to changing road conditions.

Stopping power comes from carbon-ceramic brakes with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers.

Inside, the Z Coupe features an 8.9-inch digital instrument cluster alongside a 12.8-inch central touchscreen running Google Built-in.

The Coupe and Racing are fitted with a 12-speaker audio system, while the Spider uses a 10-speaker setup.

UK buyers will be able to choose from 10 exterior colours, along with 10 interior colour combinations. The Spider also offers multiple fabric roof colours.

Although Denza's immediate focus is on Europe, the arrival of the Z Coupe highlights just how quickly Chinese brands are moving into territory once dominated by established European performance car makers.

Whether New Zealand buyers eventually get the chance to experience it remains to be seen.