- Flagship sports car from technology-focused premium brand has 1604PS and accelerates from 0-62mph in as little as 1.96 seconds
- Triple-motor e3 Sports Car Platform delivers exhilarating dynamics and FLASH Charging, enabling 10%-97% refills in only nine minutes
- Goodwood debut confirms Coupe and Racing editions alongside Spider drop-top and Special Edition that’s ready for the Nordschleife
- Four-seat layout broadens appeal – along with extensive scope for personalisation, including 10 exterior and interior colours
DENZA, the premium technology-oriented automotive brand of the BYD Group, is proud to present an all-new, all-electric supercar that redefines what can be experienced in a performance vehicle: the DENZA Z.
Equipped with DENZA’s signature e3 Sports Car Platform, a triple-motor configuration producing 1604PS and DiSus-M magnetorheological suspension, the Z is a masterclass in how to integrate advanced design, cutting-edge technologies and premium materials in a package that stirs the soul. And its ability to use FLASH Charging, with 10%-97% refills in just nine minutes, makes it the first electric supercar whose performance can be exploited and enjoyed completely, without concerns over range or how long it will take to recharge.
The DENZA Z is making its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, an annual showcase for both classic racing cars and the latest performance vehicles. It was unveiled by BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li and former Formula One World Champion Jenson Button. Three versions of the Z have now been confirmed: Coupe, Spider and Racing – plus a Special Edition that will attempt Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record runs in the autumn.
Stella Li, BYD Executive Vice President, commented: “The DENZA Z is born to perform and built to win. It redefines performance with its power, acceleration and dynamic ability – and FLASH Charging means it’s the only electric supercar without compromise on how these strengths can be used. Z is a great example of how DENZA’s technology-led approach is going to set new benchmarks in every segment it enters. It really is the supercar for the new-energy generation!”
Design that stirs the soul, delivering both elegance and performance
The shape of the Z is the latest manifestation of DENZA’s brand ethos, Technology Drives Elegance. It seamlessly blends sensuous curves with functional elements that help to deliver exceptional aerodynamic downforce for high-performance situations. It’s the perfect convergence of aesthetics and racing spirit.
The Z Coupe and Spider measure 4780mm in length, making this model the most compact DENZA yet to reach European customers. Described by BYD Global Design Director Wolfgang Egger as “a living sculpture of speed”, the overall shape plays with light and shadow, using restrained curves that glide through the flowing air yet still convey a powerful presence.
The overall philosophy is that all beautiful forms are born from perfect proportion – and that has been deliver by Egger and his design team. Powerful front and rear fenders reflect the Z’s prodigious performance, while a slim beltline places the occupants in the centre of the vehicle and reflects a low seating position.
The front design mixes sharp angles in the lower bumper and the distinctive LED daytime-running light signature with smooth shapes pulled over the wheelarches. And at the rear, intricate diamond-shaped tail-lights give the Z a sophisticated look. The paint finishes include a pearlescent effect that can shift shades when viewed from different distances and angles; it’s achieved through DENZA’s multi-layer coating process, where art and engineering cooperate seamlessly.
The exterior design is defined by numerous functional elements. At its core is a meticulously optimized body shape, which lays the foundation for exceptional aerodynamic efficiency. The air intake in the centre of the front bumper directs airflow to unique outlets on the bonnet, forming an S-shaped airflow path that perfectly balances the relationship between drag, downforce, and heat management. These design elements perfectly illustrate that the Z’s aesthetics go beyond mere appearance; they contribute to its excellent performance.
Inside, the layout is unashamedly focused on the steering wheel – the centre of control and driving pleasure with any sports car. The Z’s wheel draws inspiration from motorsport and includes six physical buttons set into its lower panel for easy access to key functions, such as the Track and Boost modes.
Elsewhere, the cabin achieves a harmonious balance between elements, with high-quality materials like carbon fibre, suede-effect fabrics and metal finishes.
Technology is neatly integrated too, including an 8.88-inch fully digital instrument panel, a 12.8-inch infotainment system and a wireless smartphone-charging pad.
The seats are designed to offer a mixture of comfort and sporty support, with driver’s and front passenger’s featuring eight-way power adjustment, four-way electric lumbar support, heating, ventilation and massage function. Their headrests even include built-in speakers for the Devialet sound system (12 speakers in Coupe and Racing, 10 in Spider). In the Coupe and Spider models, the driver’s seat also has active lateral support adjustment for high-speed cornering.
The Racing version of the car features a re-engineered front air intake optimised for extreme conditions, paired with a multi-duct cooling system. This architecture delivers exceptional thermal management, boosting electric-motor cooling efficiency by 50%, while also increasing brake-disc cooling rates by 32%.
Furthermore, the Z Racing is equipped with a carbon-fibre front splitter, underfloor vortex generators and strategically placed vents across the body, as well as an optional three-position adjustable carbon-fibre rear wing. These enhancements increase the overall length slightly, to 4870mm, and the design generates up to 1060kg of downforce at 217mph.
This comprehensive aerodynamic and thermal design has been rigorously validated and fine-tuned by top-tier drivers and senior engineers at the ‘Green Hell’ — the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The result is ultimate downforce, perfect aerodynamic balance, and unwavering stability.
The more extensive personalisation options for the Racing will include the possibility to remove the rear seats altogether and replace them with a roll cage and carbon-fibre trim.
Despite its compact dimensions, the Z has a wheelbase measuring 2780mm – close to those of many executive saloons. This allows all versions to have a four-seat layout, offering a unique level of flexibility for vehicles with their performance. The boot capacity in the Coupe and Racing is 250 litres – enough for light luggage – and the rear seats can be folded down to increase this to 550 litres.
The Z Special Edition features race-grade dual-layer composite bodywork, including panels made completely from carbon fibre. It also has a drag-reduction system that coordinates a front active diffuser and a rear wing flap to cut drag by up to 40%, while producing more than 2000kg of downforce at 186mph.
DENZA-exclusive e3 Sports Car Platform brings unique features to the class
Beneath the Z’s stunning bodywork lies the e3 Sports Car Platform (pronounced ‘e-cube’), developed exclusively for the DENZA brand. It brings several class-leading and unique functions, based on these core technologies:
1) the world’s first intelligent triple-motor torque control system purpose built for the race track
2) Cell-to-Body (CTB) battery-body integration
3) DiSus-M magnetorheological suspension
4) FLASH Charging and 2nd Generation Blade Battery
Engineered from the ground up for new-energy power, the e3 Sports Car Platform is the perfect base for DENZA’s first supercar, delivering shattering performance and involving dynamics without any of the traditional compromises.
All three versions of the Z feature a triple-motor configuration, with a single front motor joined by one apiece driving each of the rear wheels. The combined maximum system output for all versions of the car is 1604PS and 1240Nm of torque. That’s enough for a 0-62mph acceleration time of just 2.25 seconds in the Coupe, faster than all but the most hardcore combustion-engined supercars, and a top speed of 186mph.
When fitted with optional semi-slick tyres, the Racing version will accelerate even more quickly, beating the two-second mark for 0-62mph, at just 1.96sec, and achieving a higher top speed of 217mph.
The Z Special Edition, meanwhile, features track-grade enhanced thermal management, with the powertrain and battery cooling rates increased by 180% and 30% respectively. Its total system power is over 2000PS, and it can accelerate from 0-62mph in less than 1.7 seconds. Further technical information on this vehicle will be released in due course.
The twin rear motors are key components of the world’s first 15-in-1 fully integrated electric-drive unit. This self-developed technology incorporates two motors, each with its own reduction gear and Motor Control Unit, plus the Onboard Charger (OBC), DC-DC converter, Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), Battery Management Controller (BMC), Power Distribution Unit (PDU), Boost Charging, Energy Management and Charging Heating. Its maximum speed is 30,000rpm.
Vehicle Motion Control (VMC) acts as a vehicle control hub, taking command of all the controllable actuators of the car – braking, suspension and steering. It then uses an industry-leading signal-transmission time of as little as 10 milliseconds to provide faster, more accurate and more comprehensive control of the car’s motion.
The system’s high level of integration is not only space efficient; it also speeds up response times, allowing several key dynamic functions. These include a Tyre Burst Control System, where the car recognises the incident and responds in milliseconds to adjust the torque of the unaffected tyres and the dynamic distribution of power. This enhances vehicle stability, while assistance systems also intervene to reduce vehicle yawing.
The world’s first three-motor intelligent torque control system designed specifically for the race track means the Z can perform a ‘compass turn’, where the car can use its front wheels as an axis and revolve its rear wheels around it.
The Z also marks the first use of DiSus-M intelligent damping in the e3 Sports Car Platform. This active system uses a fluid in its dampers (magnetorheological) that can change viscosity in milliseconds when exposed to a magnetic field. This, in turn, allows the Z’s control system to make ultra-fast adjustments to the rebound and compression damping.
The result is that the Z’s suspension layout – double wishbones at the front, multi-link at the rear – can remain compliant on broken surfaces, while still offering assured body control in high-performance situations. The Coupe and Spider versions of the car feature air suspension, while the Racing has coil springs for a more track-focused experience.
All DENZA Z versions feature carbon-ceramic drilled brake discs for reduced unsprung mass (around 30kg saved in total), improved cooling performance and increased durability (up to 186,000 miles of service life). They’re fitted with six-piston (front) and four-piston (rear) fixed calipers that deliver even pressure distribution between pads and discs – and these can be ordered in custom colours, including orange, yellow, red and blue.
Regardless of version, the Z’s 2nd Generation Blade Battery has a capacity of 76kWh, enough for 254 miles of range in the Coupe, 248 miles in the Spider, and 236 miles in the Racing. It’s integrated into the e3 Sports Car Platform using a gigacasting-based Cell-to-Body architecture (CTB), a technology pioneered by BYD that removes the additional complexity of battery packs and modules. In CTB, the Blade Battery cells are positioned directly into the chassis, with the passenger-compartment floor acting as their top cover.
This type of installation brings benefits in packaging – it’s up to 20% more space efficient than a traditional Cell-to-Pack configuration – as well as safety and strength. It also contributes to the excellent torsional stiffness of the Z’s steel-aluminium body – more than 40,000Nm per degree.
FLASH Charging allows the DENZA Z to recharge as fast as refuelling
The 2nd Generation Blade Battery also allows the Z to benefit from BYD Group’s latest breakthrough: FLASH Charging, which delivers up to 1,500kW through a single connector, allowing refill times that match the refuelling speeds of conventional combustion-engined cars.
The system can take the Z from 10%-70% of battery capacity (‘ready’) in only five minutes, and from 10%-97% (‘full’) in just nine minutes. Even in -30°C, the Z can recharge from 20%-97% in only 12 minutes.
These lightning-fast times fulfil the promise of ‘Ready in 5, Full in 9, Cold Add 3’, and open the possibility, in a manner never seen before in an all-electric sports car, for the vehicle’s full performance to be enjoyed without fear of extensive downtime afterwards as the battery is refilled.
The technology is supported by both BYD Group’s self-developed FLASH Charging Station and 2nd Generation Blade Battery, the result of six years of intensive research and development. With traditional batteries, the key qualities of fast charging and high energy density are often seen as conflicting technical goals. But the company has resolved this trade-off to significantly increase the charging speed.
- To achieve this while retaining safety and durability, engineers developed a ‘FlashPass’ Ion Transport System that pushes the boundaries of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
It’s based on three core breakthroughs:
the ‘Flash-Release’ cathode features a directionally engineered, multi-level particle-size architecture that enables dense packing and rapid deintercalation.
the ‘Flash-Flow’ electrolyte uses AI-driven high-throughput screening to deliver high ionic conductivity and fast ion mobility.
the ‘Flash-Intercalate’ anode has a multi-dimensional lithium-insertion site construction, allowing high-speed lithium-ion intercalation.
Together, these technologies mean significantly reduced internal resistance, cutting heat generation at the source.
Further innovation in the anode, which features high-throughput electrode restructuring and graphite particles aligned perpendicular to the electrode plane, reduces lithium-ion transport resistance and allows smooth, faster intercalation.
The 2nd Generation Blade Battery features a breakthrough Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) layer, a key component of any lithium-ion battery. BYD’s solution uses molecular-level engineering and macroscopic structural optimisation to be both ultra-thin, allowing higher ionic conductivity, and highly dense, ensuring chemical stability. It also features dynamic self-repairing technology to strike the balance of ‘thin yet strong’.
The technical achievements in energy density and charging speed have not come at the cost of safety or durability. In fact, the 2nd Generation Blade Battery has passed a string of fresh benchmark safety evaluations, including the world’s first simultaneous FLASH Charging and Nail-Penetration Test, which resulted in no thermal runaway, smoke or fire, even after 500 FLASH Charging cycles.
Furthermore, the 2nd Generation Blade Battery brings an advance in LFP battery durability; compared with the original Blade Battery, its overall capacity degradation is reduced by 2.5%.
A premium cabin where technology enhances the on-road experience
As well as premium materials like suede-effect fabrics, carbon fibre and metal finishes, the Z’s cabin is packed with features and innovations that set it apart from other supercars. All versions feature multi-themed intelligent ambient lighting that reacts to the car’s modes, plus an 8.88-inch digital instrument panel and a 12.8-inch infotainment system, complete with Google Built-in1 for Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Google Play Store. A digital rear-view mirror is also standard, along with powered soft-closing doors.
The theatre-grade audio system is supplied by French sound specialist Devialet, and it brings 12 speakers (10 in the Spider) – including a spherical central module in the middle of the upper fascia – for an unparalleled immersive experience.
The dynamic excitement that can be enjoyed in the cabin is enhanced further by a virtual engine sound, along with Boost and Track modes. The virtual sound can be activated through a button on the fascia and customised within the infotainment system, with two levels of volume adjustment and the ability to output the sound to the cabin only, the exterior only, or to both. Different sound characteristics can also be chosen, including a conventional engine note or an effect inspired by sci-fi.
Boost mode is controlled by a button on the Z’s steering wheel. It amplifies throttle torque by 30% for 20 seconds – and while it is activated, the instrument cluster and touchscreen are modified to reflect the additional performance.
Track mode, again activated through a steering-wheel button, opens a complete application on the infotainment screen. This software is designed to maximise time spent on circuits, so it allows users to access precise real-time vehicle positioning, along with data captured via a G-sensor. Lap data can be analysed and exported to a USB flash drive, allowing owners to store and share their best performances.
But Track mode goes further than data capture and analysis; it also includes a suite of dynamic settings that allow the driver to set their Z up for their precise requirements, either as a novice or a track expert. These include a straight-line acceleration function with launch control, and a drift setting that adjusts the power distribution between the front and rear to allow controllable lateral slip. Drifting can also be activated through a one-touch function, which uses the torque control and power steering to achieve fun drifts without driver needing to adjust the steering or accelerator inputs.
For those who want to hone their Z’s settings to their precise individual tastes, the Track app offers three custom profiles. The parameters that can be adjusted and stored include front/rear power distribution, traction control, brake-energy regeneration, DiSus-M damping, brake assist, torque vectoring, anti-lock brakes and vehicle dynamic control.
1 Google, Google Play, Google Maps, Waze and other brands are trademarks of Google LLC
Everything you need as standard, allowing play with personalisation
All versions of the Z come with a comprehensive standard equipment list, leaving customers to experiment with the extensive range of colour and trim options as they personalise their vehicle. Features like the digital instrument panel and infotainment screen, heated and ventilated front seats with massage function, power-assisted soft-closing doors, Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), digital rear-view mirror, Devialet sound system with Dolby Atmos, wireless smartphone charging and remote access via the DENZA app are all included.
The Z is being offered in a choice of 10 exterior colours, ranging from Le Mans Blue and Silverstone Silver through optional Nocturne (purple) and Riviera Blue to premium optional Phantom Black Matte, Monaco Red and Monte Carlo Orange.
Inside, a total of 10 interior colours are available, mixing full-black styles with variations in stitching and brighter coloured finishes. There are four colours of brake calipers to choose from, too. And the Spider’s roof can also be specified in a choice of optional colours.
This exhaustive line-up of personalisation is designed to ensure that Z customers really can create their own unique example of the car – regardless of whether they’ve picked a Coupe, Spider or Racing.
Safety features, meanwhile, include a driver’s airbag, a front passenger’s airbag, two front-seat side airbags, a driver’s side rear airbag, and a pair of front and rear curtain airbags. And the Z has a full suite of driver-assistance technologies, such as Driver Fatigue and Distraction Monitoring, Front and Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Brake, Lane Departure Assist, Intelligent Cruise Control and Blind Spot Detection.
Nürburgring next – as orders begin for Z Coupe, Spider and Racing
Following its appearance on the DENZA stand at Goodwood, the Z Special Edition will undergo additional development assessment ahead of lap-record attempts at the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife in the autumn.
In the meantime, the Coupe, Spider and Racing versions of the Z will be available order this summer in selected markets, with first deliveries expected to reach customers before the end of the year.
DENZA Z specifications | |||
Items | Coupe | Spider | Racing |
Dimensions (L/W/H, mm) | 4780/1975/1330 | 4780/1975/1350 | 4870/1990/1350 |
Wheelbase (mm) | 2780 | ||
Kerb weight | 2230 | 2300 | 2250 |
Drag coefficient (Cd) | 0.25 | 0.255 | 0.310 |
Max system power (PS/kW) | 1604/1180 | ||
Max system torque (Nm) | 1240 | ||
Front electric motor | 680/500 | ||
Front electric motor | 440 | ||
Rear electric motors | 462/340 (x2) | ||
Rear electric motors | 410 (x2) | ||
Drive type | AWD | ||
0-62mph acceleration time (s) | 2.25 | 2.3 | 2.25/1.962 |
0-124mph acceleration time (s) | 6.36 | 6.46 | 6 |
Top speed (mph) | 186 | 186/2172 | |
Battery capacity (kWh) | 76 | ||
WLTP combined range (miles) | 254 | 248 | 236 |
Max charging power (AC) | 11kW | ||
Max charging power (DC) | FLASH Charging (10-70% in 5min, 10-97% in 9min) | ||
Battery type | BYD 2nd Generation Blade Battery (LFP) with | ||
Boot capacity (litres) | 250 | 131-176 | 250 |
Front/rear suspension | Double wishbone/five-link, | Double wishbone/five-link, | |
Front/rear brakes | 6-piston with carbon-ceramic discs/ | ||
Wheel size (in) | 20 | 20 | 21 |
2 Equipped with optional semi-slick tyre package
