Its ‘DiSus-X’ chassis is also unusual in the supercar class because it’s a fully active system. In this set-up each wheel is truly independent, and uses hydraulics to control the car’s pitch and roll, and does so without the need for any anti-roll bars. This is a similar technology to Porsche’s Active Body Control, and BYD says it helps the U9 to augment its weight to keep the wheels in maximum contact with the road at all times.
No official weight figure or changes to the battery size has been confirmed for this specific model, but BYD has announced a power-to-weight ratio of 1,200bhp per tonne, putting the U9 Track Edition’s weight at 2,640kg. So it’s not exactly lightweight. And if you’re after an admittedly slightly less extreme EV, why not check out all the BYDs on the Auto Express Buy A Car service now.
However, while this top speed is incredibly impressive, it can’t quite be taken as a record top speed, because it wasn’t completed in the official capacity. To do so, the BYD would need to do multiple runs in different directions of the road course. Cars must also be largely production-relevant, which isn’t something that can quite be said of the black tape covering up the U9 record car’s panel gaps.
There’s no denying the huge progress the Chinese manufacturer has made with its battery technology, though. And until the Europeans catch up, brands such as BYD look to be building more and more of a lead in the race to, well, somewhere.
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