The performance-focused Yangwang U9 couldn’t be more different than its stablemate, the U8 electric off-roader
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by Thanos Pappas
January 5, 2023 at 13:32
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by Thanos Pappas
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During the presentation of the U8 electric off-roader, YangWang, BYD’s newly launched luxury EV brand, had a surprise for us in the form of the U9 battery-powered supercar.
The upcoming performance model incorporates the brand’s “Gate of Time and Space” design language. It has a low-slung silhouette with two doors and complex aero components. At the front, the C-shaped LED headlights are quite large, hugging the F1-style nose in combination with the vents on the pronounced fenders. The splitter has integrated fins and yellow accents just like the side skirts and the rear diffuser.
Black elements around the bodywork like the ones next to the side air intakes create a duo-tone finish, contrasting the bright yellow shade. Another highlight is the transparent fin sticking out of the vented rear windshield that looks like a Lamborghini engine cover. The inlets below the full-width LED taillights are a typical design trait of supercars but in Yangwang’s case, they appear to be blocked.
The Yangwang U9 can accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in a claimed 2 seconds flat which is only 0.1 seconds slower than the rival Aion Hyper SSR from GAC. BYD didn’t reveal the power output but confirmed it will be equipped with the “Yisifang” tech for its quad motor setup. This will be a shared feature among all Yangwang models, with the independently controlled electric motors allowing sophisticated torque vectoring functions.
In the Yangwang U8 off-roader, each of the four electric motors produces 295-322 hp (220-240 kW / 299-326 PS) and 320-420 Nm (236-310 lb-ft) of torque, which means that the combined output is over 1,100 hp (820 kW / 1,115 PS). That sounds more than enough to endow the lighter and more aerodynamic supercar with mind-blowing performance. In the U8, the “Yisifang” system offered crab walk and tank turn capabilities but in the road-focused U9, it could introduce different functions aimed at improving handling and performance.
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Interestingly, BYD’s Yangwang U9 is not a concept but a production vehicle. When it launches in China, it will be priced over ¥1,000,000 ($145,340). This puts it right against GAC’s Aion Hyper Hyper SSR which starts from ¥1,286,000 ($186,870).
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