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The supercar rivalling Yangwang U9 might not have the cachet of the Italian supercar crowd, but this Chinese challenger is in Australia as a brand-building exercise for BYD’s premium division.
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A photo posted to Facebook reveals that BYD has an example of its high-end Yangwang U9 supercar in the country – and it's not afraid to show it off.
Spotted on the back of a tow truck in Rushcutters Bay, the Yangwang U9 was being transported in full view with no covering or camouflage to hide it.
The location puts the car within close proximity to BYD’s Sydney experience centre, in Darlinghurst.
BYD’s public relations manager, James Robinson, said of the sighting, “BYD’s EV hypercar, the Yangwang U9, has touched down in Australia for an exciting series of upcoming tech demonstration events. We will be sharing details about said events in the coming weeks.
“However, while we’re thrilled to see the 960kW performance machine on our shores, there are no plans to bring the U9 to Australia, and it is not being considered for our market.”
This statement lines up with comments made by BYD’s previous distributor, EVDirect. BYD’s Australian operations now come under factory-backed control, but the flagship WangWang U9 remains of the table, with production for left-hand drive markets only at this stage.
Despite earlier claims the U9 would not be a candidate for an Australian introduction under BYD’s previous distributor, EVDirect, the company has since brought Australian operations under factory-backed control, opening he door to a reassessment for the flagship WangWang U9.
The supercar challenging U9 is powered by four electric motors with combined outputs of 690kW and 1680Nm.
BYD claims the U9 can accelerate from 0-100km/h in as little as 2.36 seconds, faster than a Ferrari SF90. Top speed is claimed at 391.94km/h.
Blistering acceleration isn’t the almost 2.5-tonne U9’s main attraction, however, with a hydraulic suspension system that allows the car to drive on three wheels, or jump over obstacles while driving.
Pricing for the Yangwang U8 starts from 1.68 million yuan in China ($AU361,000), making it roughly the same price as the flagship Chevrolet Corvette in Australia, but undercutting supercars from Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren.
Design work for the U9 was carried out under the direction of German designer, Wolfgang Egger, who previously headed up design for Audi and Lamborghini. His earlier work also includes the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.
BYD has previously shown off its Yangwang U8 luxury plug-in hybrid SUV in Australian showrooms to gauge interest in that model, so it’s possible the U9 could be here for similar promotional work.
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Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
