Denza debuted its Z performance flagship at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed as part of its plan to shake up the performance car landscape in Europe.
Aimed firmly at the likes of the £150,000 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé, the Denza Z is available as a £142,900 coupé, a £159,900 convertible, or a full-fat, £172,900 hardcore Racing model.
For context, the recently launched Denza brand is BYD’s tech-focused premium answer to the likes of Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW.
Performance, battery, and range
Each version of the Denza Z comes with a tri-motor setup, with one motor on the front axle and two on the rear. Together, they produce 1,583bhp and 915 pound-feet of torque.
Under the skin, the Denza Z packs a chassis-integrated BYD ‘Flash’ 2.0 battery with a relatively modest 76kWh capacity, returning up to 254 miles of range. However, is is worth noting that it can be topped up from 10-97% in just nine minutes with one of BYD’s 1,500kW Flash chargers.
As it seeks to woo buyers away from heritage brands, the Denza Z is the latest BYD product to be manufactured with European buyers in mind.
Its chassis features the firm’s DiSus-M electromagnetic body-control system, which is paired with air suspension on Coupe and Spider models. Racing models, however, come with a simpler coil spring arrangement.
Irrespective of specification, the Denza Z gets carbon-ceramic brakes all around with six-piston callipers up front. A Formula 1-inspired S-Duct also channels air through the nose and out of the bonnet to increase downforce.
Combined with underfloor vortex generators, a carbon-fibre front splitter, strategically placed vents, and a three-way adjustable carbon-fibre rear wing, the Denza Z GT Racing generates up to 1,060kg of downforce at full speed.
When fitted with optional semi-slick rubber, the Denza Z Racing can achieve a 0-62 mph time of 1.96 seconds, and a top end of 217mph. For reference, the standard car and the convertible can manage the 0-62 mph run in 2.25s and will max out at 186mph.
The Chinese brand also confirmed that a 2,000bhp ‘Special Edition’ developed to smash the Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record will arrive later this year with an aggressive aerodynamic bodykit and carbon fibre body panels to keep weight to a minimum.
Design and tech
Designed by Wolfgang Egger, who was responsible for the Alfa Romeo 8C, the Denza Z measures up at 4.7 metres long, making it the most compact model in the brand’s roster. Speaking at the launch, Egger described the Z’s curvaceous exterior as “a living sculpture of speed”.
Inside, the Denza Z is unsurprisingly a driver-focused affair. The driver gets an 8.8-inch digital instrument binnacle, while a 12.8-inch screen sits in the centre of the dashboard. Like the Denza Bao 5 off-roader, the Z’s infotainment system runs on the highly acclaimed Google built-in software.
A ‘theatre-grade’ sound system developed by the French firm Devialet is also standard, and it promises to pump in a virtual engine note that remains under wraps for now.
Practicality is minimal, and the rear seats are only truly suitable for small children, very small adults, or a set of weekend bags. However, the 250-litre boot is twice the size of the Porsche 911’s, and the rear seats can be folded to open up 550 litres worth of space.
