In April at this year’s Shanghai auto show, BYD, the fastest growing NEV brand in the world, showcased a prototype of a sleek new electric two-door sports car under its premium Denza brand, calling it the Z.
Now, a photo of the black prototype has emerged on X by Thinkercar, showcasing a few new details about this model.
It shows a convertible version of the upcoming model, parked on the side of a road with the front bonnet featuring a big air scoop.
The front also comes with triangular headlights, previously seen on ICE hypercars like the Lamborghini Huracán.
Staying at the front, there is a round badge closer to where the number plate is normally placed. It can be spotted through the black wrap and looks quite close to the roundish Denza badge seen on the brand’s other vehicles.
Looking through the windscreen, there is a large horizontal screen that is seen in the centre of the dashboard, along with multiple cameras spotted on the top section of the windscreen, likely for advanced driver assistance (ADAS) systems.
There is a softtop convertible-like roof, which is the first time this car is seen with one, hinting at possibly two versions of the model which could be in the works. That would include both a hard-top and a soft-top version.
The company first revealed the Denza Z concept at the Shanghai auto show, just two months ago.
It included a few new technologies, such as the DiSus-M suspension system, a foldable steering wheel, and a steer-by-wire system.
The Denza Z is not going to be the company’s first sports car. That car is the Yangwang U9, which made its debut at the Shanghai auto show in 2023.
This two-door sports car has since gone on sale and features a quad-motor drivetrain, capable of achieving speeds of over 391 km/h.
It has also achieved a Nürburgring laptime of 7 minutes and 18 seconds in November 2024 and was recently outlapped by both the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra and SU7 Ultra prototype at the famous German track.
With Denza set to launch the new Z, we can expect to see more sightings and spec leaks in the coming months. From what we can see so far, it’s going to be a model to keep an eye on, especially if you like electric sports cars.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.