Power-mad Denza Z is looking to destroy the Porsche 911 with 1,583bhp
The fully electric four-seat GT can do 0-62mph in less than two seconds, and has a top speed of 217mph
The new mind-bogglingly fast Denza Z is China’s answer to the Porsche 911, Mercedes-AMG GT and Maserati GranTurismo, and it’s looking to embarrass them all with a devastating amount of power.
Auto Express has confirmed the fully electric four-seater GT will be coming to the UK as part of a four-pronged attack by BYD’s premium, technology-focused sister brand, Denza, which is going to try and take on the might of Mercedes, BMW and Porsche.
The Denza Z, which made its public debut at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, will be the brand’s flagship model and it’ll be offered in three forms: the standard hard-top Coupe, a convertible Spider, and a full-throttle Racing version.
How powerful is the new Denza Z?
All of them feature the same tri-motor powertrain that uses one motor up front and two at the rear to produce 1,583bhp, which is about as much as in the Bugatti Chiron hypercar. That, plus 1,240Nm of torque, allows the coupe to do 0-62mph in just 2.25 seconds, reach 124mph in 6.36 seconds and go on a top speed of 186mph.
The open-top version is nearly as quick, as is the standard Racing model. However, if buyers add the optional semi-slick tyres, the GT3-inspired model is capable of 0-62mph in a ridiculous 1.96 seconds, while the top speed increases to 217mph.
Beyond that, an even more hardcore special edition with more than 2,000bhp is coming, designed specifically to set new lap records on the Nürburgring Nordschleife later this year. Denza says this version will do 0-62mph in less than 1.7 seconds, which would make it one of the fastest cars in the world.
New Denza Z range and charging
The 76kWh battery offers up to 254 miles of range and can be topped up from 10 to 97 per cent in a mere nine minutes. But only if you can find one of BYD’s new mega-powerful 1,500kW Flash Charging stations.
Daniel Cabanillas, Denza’s head of product in Europe, told Auto Express that the Z has been tuned for European roads, and set up for both road and track. The chassis features DiSus-M, an intelligent magnetorheological (electro-magnetic) body-control system, similar to that found on the latest Chevrolet Corvette, which should keep body movement in check through corners. Coupe and Spider models pair this with air suspension, while the Racing gets simpler coil springs. Meanwhile, stopping power comes in the form of carbon-ceramic brakes, featuring six-piston calipers up front.
What does the new Denza Z look like?
With its sharp, low nose, short bonnet and sleek cab-forward silhouette, the Denza Z looks more like a supercar than a traditional GT. So much so that you wouldn’t guess it has a set of back seats. There’s definitely hints of Lotus and McLaren in the design, plus some Maserati and, to our eyes, even a touch of Lamborghini.
Perhaps that’s not too surprising, given that the man styling Denza’s products and ensuring they have a European flavour is the former chief designer at SEAT, Alfa Romeo, Audi and Lamborghini, Wolfgang Egger, who penned the timeless Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.
The front of the Z features an ‘S-Duct’, like you’ll find on the Ferrari F80 hypercar, that channels air through the nose and out of the bonnet to boost downforce. Combined with all the other aerodynamic elements on this car, the Denza Z generates up to 1,060kg of downforce at top speed.
The special-edition, potentially record-breaking model we mentioned earlier will add carbon-fibre body panels to cut weight, and more aggressive aerodynamics that, Denza claims, will produce more than 2,000kg of downforce at 186mph.
New Denza Z interior and prices
Inside, the Denza Z doesn’t deliver the same level of quality or sense of prestige as its European rivals. But it does feature a sharp 8.8-inch driver’s display and a 12.8-inch touchscreen with Google Maps and other services built-in. There’s also a ‘theatre-grade’ sound system from French specialist firm Devialet, which is used to pump in a virtual engine sound that we’ve yet to hear.
The back seats are only suitable for small children, or for weekend bags. But there is a 250-litre boot as well, which is roughly twice as much luggage space as the Porsche 911 offers, plus the rear seats can be folded down to create 550 litres of space. Naturally, the Spider offers less boot capacity due to the retractable roof, but its 131-176 litres is on par with the Maserati GranCabrio.
Practicality is probably the last thing on the mind of potential buyers of the Racing model, and they will be able to replace the rear seats with a roll cage and carbon-fibre trim in this one.
The Denza Z will go on sale in the UK later this year, when the brand’s first dealerships open their doors. Prices will start from £142,900 for the Coupe, £159,900 for the Spider and £172,900 for the full-throttle Racing version. So it’s got more than twice the power of a Porsche 911 Turbo S, and costs up to £56,000 less.
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