The circuit seems taken from the dream of a megalomaniacal engineer:
- A gigantic dune indoors.
- A 70 meter pool for cars, not for humans.
- An impeccable and very wide asphalt route.
- A gymkhana off road with unevenness, slopes, gravel…
BYD has called it Racing Track, we have gone to Zhengzhou to see it (and try it), and it is much more than a circuit: it is a declaration of intent on the part of its manufacturer, and a not-so-subtle sign of the role it wants to occupy. Not in China, but in the world.
Es permanently tighten muscleis throwing the gauntlet to Europe and the United States to see if they keep up. And for us, it is the key to understanding how this manufacturer has gone from a local phenomenon to a world leader in five years.
The U8 dune
The interior dune is the pride of the complex: 29 meters high, 28 degrees inclined, more than six thousand tons of sand from the Alxa desert. Guinness has certified it as the largest indoor building in the world.
The Yangwang U8, a luxury SUV with four electric motors, was in charge of climbing it. Of course, a local driver was behind the wheel. On the sides of the dune, dozens of journalists waiting for the climb like a child waiting to open gifts the night before Three Kings Day.
Image: WorldOfSoftware.
Image provided.
Image: WorldOfSoftware.
Image provided.
At one point, the pilot honked his horn and accelerated hard to scale the sand wall. A five-meter tank that went with an unnatural calm. Not a skid, not a hesitation. Just an electrical hum.
Another honk, and the descent. Applause and that feeling of celebration of raw power. We missed hitting each other in the chest making simian gestures. But there was something else: that iconic Pirelli advertisement said that “power without control is useless”, and that aphorism fits perfectly here. The U8 is pure power, but full of control. Symbolism.
Where cars breathe
The next stop was the wading pool, a 70 meter long pond created for the U8. This time we didn’t drive either, but we were inside while the pilot submerged the car in the water.
Upon detecting a certain depth, the car automatically raised the windows and opened the sunroof, two safety measures to prevent water from entering the cabin and to facilitate escape if necessary, respectively.
Image provided.
Image provided.
Image provided.
Image provided.
From there, the motors work like turbines in each wheel. They keep the car afloat and also allow you to steer it. It was impressive to see the water almost at the height of our window. From there, a gentle 180º turn and return to the shore. Science fiction for an amphibious SUV.
That said, this function is intended as a response to an emergency such as flooding. It is not something the manufacturer recommends doing for fun.
The dune was fun, but The one in the pool was the most hypnotic moment of the dayalthough with a bitter aftertaste due to memories of DANA. But for extreme situations like that this function is supposed to be there.
From water to dust with the Denza B5
After the show, it was our turn at the Off-Road Parkan area with 27 difficulty scenarios. We did it, not completely, at the wheel of the Denza B5, the SUV that will arrive in Spain under that brand – although in China it is sold as Fang Cheng Bao 5 -.
A competitor to the Land Cruiser that, depending on its Price (it will arrive in Spain) will manage to put Toyota in more or less trouble, but in any case it will be noticed. If you don’t know Denza yet, stick with its name: technological luxury that has no reason to have any complexes.
Image provided.
Image provided.
Image provided.
The assigned circuit was easy: ramps designed to put the car on two wheels, notable inclinations, bridge crossings and areas of complicated relief. Even so, the B5 moved with solvency. Instant electric all-wheel drive and obstacle-filtering suspension with the aplomb of a veteran off-roader. Patrol, is that you?
It was not a risky experience, but it served as a symbolic demonstration: Chinese electric cars are no longer only looking for efficiency. They also want to be the most versatile. This one is. And it was extremely easy to drive in those environments even for someone like me, with no experience off-road.
The scary crab: Denza Z9 GT
The turn of the Denza Z9 GT has arrived, the sedan shooting brake that BYD has launched against the Taycan and the Panamera. But we didn’t test it on curves, but on something more disturbing: the crab walk and the U-shaped turn, 180 degrees in static.
He crab walk —advancing diagonally like a crab—is a fair trick until you see it in action. You accelerate forward and the car slides sideways, defying all visual logic. It takes a few seconds for the brain to accept that the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels. It is useful for parallel parking without maneuvering. It’s unsettling to drive. And it attracts looks of bewilderment.
Image provided.
Image provided.
But the static 180 degree turn was straight up surreal. Standing still, without moving an inch, The Z9 GT pivots on its own axis until it turns completely around. The four wheels rotate independently, locking one of the front wheels, the car rotates like in a video game and you, inside, only hear the hum of the engines while the world spins outside the window.
There’s no need. It is not practical on a day-to-day basis, if perhaps at some specific moment where we do not have an angle to undo a mess But it’s the kind of technological excess that separates a good car from a statement of intent. Of course, it does not seem advisable to play with it too much for the sake of our support tire.
“Mickey Mouse” with Seal 6
Change of scenery: from dust to asphalt. The Dynamic Paddock includes a route nicknamed ‘Mickey Mouse’, a succession of tight curves to test chassis, steering, braking, acceleration and traction.
Here we did it with the BYD Seal 6, the sedan that plays in the same league as the Tesla Model 3, but with a softer character. And it is now available in Spain.
Image: WorldOfSoftware.
Image: WorldOfSoftware.
Precise steering, the car enters curves decisively, understeer barely appears. The power delivery is immediate but manageable. Without drama, without squeaks, without that excess that some electrics cause. A controlled serenity: that of a car more mature than its price.
It was the most fun part, perhaps because the limit depended on the driver. The Seal 6 does not aim to dazzle, but to convince. And he gets it.
Whoever tries to dazzle is someone else. And with all of you…
The roar without noise: behind the wheel of the Yangwang U9
And finally, the main course: the Yangwang U9. 1,300 combined horses, active hydraulic suspension capable of “dancing” and a design that makes you crazy at first glance, something we saw at the Shanghai Motor Show with this missile attracting all eyes.
We drove it on the 1,758 meter main track, a mix of fast curves and a 550 meter straight where, for a few seconds, we were able to touch 160 km/h. It’s not a big deal for this car and on a circuit, but they were the safety limits of the test.
The YangWang U9 in all its splendor. Image provided.
We were in the back. In the front, one of the BYD drivers marking the maximum speed allowed. Image provided.
Image provided.
It was only a moment, but it was enough. The push is instantaneous, the silence total, lThe sensation most similar to a space launchl than at conventional acceleration.
Unfortunately there was no driftingno lap times, no stopwatches. Although they weren’t necessary either. The U9 is not a car to demonstrate figures (although its 496.22 km/h makes it the fastest car on the planet), but to show what BYD can manufacture when it stops thinking about costs and starts thinking about limits.
The BYD Race Track in Zhengzhou is not exactly a typical internal test circuit. It is more of a neat showcase (it was even full of well-tended plants) so that the world knows what BYD is capable of at this point.
It is also ua demonstration of technological confidence. The brand not only invites you to drive, but also to understand the paradigm shift: innovation is not limited to Stuttgart or Tokyo.
And the feeling when leaving the facilities is clear. The country that a decade ago sent prototypes to learn from Europe is now building the classroom. And he invites us, with a polite smile, to sit down and take notes.
In WorldOfSoftware | BYD has built a megafactory in record time. And it’s not just a car factory: it’s a city
Featured image | Loaned
