China’s BYD will take on the likes of Porsche and Ferrari with a wild-looking supercar featuring breakthrough technology.
The manufacturer says its YangWang luxury brand will offer a hi-tech electronically controlled suspension that should transform the handling of its cars.
Capable of leaning into corners, resisting body roll, jumping off the ground or resisting weight transfer during heavy braking or acceleration, the suspension promises to defy physics.
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It’s not a completely original idea: Audi introduced similar tech in its range-topping A8 limousine that can raise one side of the car to protect passengers during a side-impact smash.
It also looks to blend elements of the active anti roll bars in Porsche’s 911 Turbo, the E-Active Body Control in Mercedes SUVs, the TrueActive suspension supplied by Multimatic for the Ferrari Purosangue and clever “Cheetah Stance” found in American versions of Tesla’s Model S.
BYD president Wang Chuanfu said the body control system represents an important breakthrough.
“The BYD DiSus System is the first self-developed intelligent body control system launched by a Chinese automobile company, marking the breakthrough from zero to one,” he said.
“The BYD DiSus System will further secure the globally pioneering stance for BYD in the industry.”
BYD presented the technology publicly with its YangWang U9 supercar, a model that promises to combine 820kW and 1280Nm thrust with a huge battery capable of returning more than 700 kilometres of driving range.
The manufacturer says a version of the technology will debut in its YangWang U8 four-wheel-drive that shapes up as an electric alternative to the Land Rover Defender.
