Denza reveals 1,000hp Z roadster in Beijing

Expect to hear an awful lot more about Denza – the Lexus to BYD’s Toyota, if you will, or its ‘premium technology-oriented brand’ – over the coming months. Having just revealed the Z9GT estate, complete with 1,500kW charging capability, there’s now a sports car to go alongside the shooting brake: this is the Denza Z, unveiled at the Beijing show and with a full global debut coming at Festival of Speed. 

Furthermore, while this may appear to be an MG Cyberster rival, the drop-top Z is a much more serious prospect. Because it has more than a thousand horsepower, for one thing. Therefore Denza is suggesting that it is in fact the world’s first ‘intelligent electric supercar.’ Meaning that as well as 0-62mph in less than two seconds and the Flash charging, it’s also got something called DiSus-M, an ‘intelligent magnetorheological body control system engineered specifically to cope with shattering high performance.’ 

With a pinch of salt we’d say it’s clever magnetorheological dampers, but then the Chinese makers are getting ever better at confounding expectations. Apparently it’s underpinned by a new architecture with ‘world-leading’ rigidity. There’s testing going on at the Nordschleife to make sure DiSus-M is working properly, and presumably getting a 1,000hp EV to handle in a predictable fashion. 

For now, the focus is more on the Z’s ‘Pure Emotion’ design philosophy. While there may still be a hint of the GTA sports car to the Denza – and more of a GT than might be expected for 1,000hp – there’s clearly some progress being made. People are going to look, that’s for sure, and it seems to have proper doors as well – so people won’t be looking at your getting in and out, as with a Cyberster. Denza reckons that Z ‘seamlessly blends carbon fibre with aerodynamic performance to create an elegant and dynamic silhouette.’

This really is imminent, too, so much so that Denza has launched a competition to name the three Z variants that will be sold here. For the moment they are Standard, Convertible and Track. Up to you now to make them Dragonball, Jay- and, of course, ZZ Top for the convertible. Don’t be surprised if whatever the Zs are actually called are on sale sooner than expected, if maybe at a price we’re not yet familiar with from Chinese brands. Sooner than the Tesla Roadster, at least. 

Denza reckons the Z is a ‘watershed moment’, as ‘the world’s first premium brand with a uniquely new-energy approach breaks into the core territory of million-dollar luxury supercars, a segment traditionally dominated by legacy European manufacturers.’ Apparently, they aren’t aware of just how poorly million-dollar EVs from the European makers have fared, but the Z is intriguing nonetheless. We’re told to expect more tech info and sales schedule in due course. Which, knowing the pace of Chinese cars, will probably be in time for the bank holiday.