Denza Z Is An Electric 911 Rival With A Fold-Away Steering Wheel

- BYDβs premium Denza brand has revealed the new Z at Shanghai.
- The Porsche 911-sized electric coupe has steer-by-wire technology.
- Fast-acting magnetized shocks can switch the damping force in 10 ms.
BYDβs Denza brand definitely has a thing about Porsche. Weβve already heard plenty about the Z9 GT, a Panamera-lookalike EV with a triple-motor drivetrain, and now thereβs the Denza Z, an electric concept that seems to have Porscheβs 911 and upcoming 718 Cayman EV in its sights.
Denza is calling the Z a concept, but you wonβt convince us this stylish coupeβs story is going to fizzle out once the Shanghai Auto Show has wrapped. And if it reaches production with as much heat as the Z9 GT, Porsche better watch out.
Related: BYDβs Denza Z9 GT Rivals Porscheβs Panamera And Taycan For A Fraction Of The Price
Though the Zβs size (judging by the images) and presence of two rear seats call to mind the 911, the design seems to take its lead from various Lamborghini and Lotus cars. The concept has a deep lower bumper and splitter, a big rear diffuser and a gigantic rear wing, all of which could potentially appear on a range-topping performance model, though weβd expect most production trims to look rather less OTT.
Denza didnβt reveal much in the way of specs, but we do know that the Z has steer-by-wire tech that removes the mechanical link between the steering wheel and the front axle. We also know the lack of a mechanical link means the steering wheel can be folded away under the dashboard when not needed, which hardly sounds like something attractive to hardcore drivers, but will definitely appeal to anyone whose car doubles as a mobile office.

Images show a double-wishbone front suspension and magnetorheological shocks that can change damping force in 10 ms in response to changes in the road surface, but donβt give us any clue as to what kind of electric powertrain the Z is running. But it seems logical that the setup will borrow heavily from the Z9 GT, and we know the top-end versions of that fastback sedan have three motors and a combined output of 952 hp (965 PS / 710 kW).
BYD is introducing the Denza brand to the European market and believes it has a real shot at stealing sales from premium brands, including Mercedes, which founded the brand with BYD but later walked away. In a recent interview with Car Magazine, BYD boss Stella Li claimed Denzaβs new vehicles were βten times betterβ than rival products.












