2026 Denza Z Racing | PH Review
Another sub-two-second to 62mph Chinese super-EV, you say? This one promises to be different...
The headline figure accompanying China’s latest electric rocket ship, the new Denza Z, is not its 1,604hp output. Nor is it a (sort of) 1.96-second 0-62 time. It is, in fact, a 10-97 per cent ‘Flash Charge’ time of nine minutes. Using 1,500kW charging tech developed by BYD - the parent company of Denza - the new Z can be zapped with a near full-load of kilowatts in little more time than it takes to fill up your car with petrol and pay at the kiosk. And not only is the car coming to Britain, 300 of these chargers will be here by the end of 2027.
Or at least that’s what BYD is promising. We won’t be able to confirm whether it’s achieved this supremely ambitious target - part of a 3,000-strong charger rollout across Europe - for another 17 months. But we can have an early go in the super-coupe it’ll charge up, because a handful of left-hand drive Zs are on UK soil to spearhead the wider assault on FOS, giving PH the chance to provide early on-track impressions. Naturally, the variant we drove is the range-top Racing, which combines the same 1,605hp- and 929lb ft of torque-producing three motor setup with circuit-honed coil suspension.
This is different to the air suspension of the lesser two variant, the Coupe and Spider, and helps underwrite not just claims of a more engaging drive, but also better overall performance. The on-paper stats include that sub-two-second 0-62mph sprint, a 217mph top speed and 236-mile range, which would normally have us scoffing at limited between-plug usability - but if you find yourself conveniently located between two Flash Chargers by 2028, you might not have an issue with it. And neither will the electricity grid, before you jump to the comments, as we’ll explain shortly.
But first the car. In the metal, it looks like a blend of Lamborghini Reventon, Maserati MC20 and maybe something AMG at the back. It’s got bags of pitlane presence at Goodwood Circuit not least because of the massive rear wing on its tail. It serves not only as a table top for your McDonald’s breakfast but also for generating downforce, contributing to a car-wide peak of 1,060kg at top speed. That’s on the level of the McLaren W1. Also said to be on the level of hypercardom is the Z Racing’s braking potential, as its carbon ceramics are said to be capable of dealing with 1,100 degrees of hell.
Yet the other number that has most relevance to the progress of EV technology relates to the ‘Blade’ 76kWh battery’s re-charge potential. Regenerative braking peaks at 700kW, which for reference is 100kW more than the Porsche Cayenne Electric, meaning those powerful brakes aren’t the only things helping to slow you down. Certainly that’s good to know in a 2.3-tonne car when you’re about to head out on one of the nation’s more fast-flowing circuits on a plus-30-degree summer’s day. Clearly this thing will shift and stop well enough, but is it really a driver’s car?
Well, on first impressions, it’s more mixed bag than dead cert. Firstly, you sit a bit too high for it to feel like a proper supercar, so while the seats are supportive and bucketed, it’s not as race-y as a Taycan. The wheel falls naturally into your hands with good adjustment for reach and rake, mind, and the view ahead through a steeply angled windscreen is matched by sight of that wing in the door mirrors. Driving off, you’re eminently aware of the power under your right foot as only the gentlest of prods has the car ghosting forward effortlessly, although the brakes are far too over-assisted. The pedal is like a switch.
That’s at pitlane speed though. At track pace, it becomes apparent quite quickly that the Racing’s more analogue setup of coil springs and active magnetic damping serve to offer a more organic response than the air springs of the other models. The latter looked from the trackside to have a tendency to rock and wobble under hard braking, but behind the wheel of the Z Racing, you get a much tighter solution. It feels genuinely track car - or at least track-focused - in its firmness and responses, with weighty, intuitive steering and a keen nose that bobs over Goodwood’s bumps (even hinting at an inside lifted wheel) when you carry speed into the flowing corners.
There’s not much in the way of actual steering feel, but the agility is evidenced by the obvious neutrality of the chassis. Trail brake in - which takes some mastering because that left pedal is so bloody grabby - and there’s even a hint of rotation about the car’s midpoint. Although, with the ESC locked firmly on (as per Denza’s instructions and a pro driver sat in the passenger seat), our analysis of its high speed balance is admittedly limited. One thing’s for sure, the ESC and traction control systems are far too nannying on the corner exits, because even when the wheel is straight, you’re not given the full whack of three-motor power for an overly cautious second or two. It’s frustrating given how much grip is on offer at a super-heated Goodwood.
Once the ESC backs off though, the Z Racing explodes down the straights, with a growling, simulated engine tone rising and falling as the fake gear shifts momentarily cut torque. It’s a fully automatic affair so you’re not changing gears yourself, but it does add to the sense of rising speed, while also making the thrust feel more natural and less headache-inducing. Despite the bold on-paper figures, the Denza R’s delivery of peak performance feels more consistently usable than the explosive, often painful punch of a Taycan Turbo GT.
You can adjust the regenerative braking too, but on track the car is happy with the setting at its highest, which might help to explain why those brakes are so over-responsive. A warm-up lap, hot lap and in-lap provide too few miles to examine the other settings. But it’s fair to say the Z Racing is impressive for its performance through fast corners, especially when you consider it weighs about as much as a Land Rover Discovery, albeit with the centre of gravity lowered a bit.
That said, based on a £172,900 starting price, the R is destined for niche plaything status - unless, perhaps, Flash Chargers become a regular sight in pitlanes. But it also feels reasonable to imagine customers being lured by the prospect of an EV super-coupe that can charge almost as quickly as a petrol station fill-up. So exactly how credible are Denza and BYD’s claims, given that even current UK charging infrastructure already lags behind countries on the continent?
The key to the Flash Charger’s potential success in countries like Britain, a Denza spokesperson tells us, is that it can run off a regular power grid. Unlike conventional chargers and rapid chargers, which typically provide from 50 to 400kW of power, BYD’s system stores energy in a large battery located close to the chargers, under ground, so when cars are plugged in, rather than requiring a large load direct from the grid, the battery provides the energy. Effectively the charging stations will have another BYD ‘Blade’ in the ground, that can be charged up when station demands falls. It’s already here, too, and not just in China, as BYD has already installed its first European Flash Charger in Bologna, Italy.
So it’s fast in a straight line and around a track, fast to charge and it looks great. That doesn’t automatically mean Denza will sell many, of course, not when you factor in an increasingly disinterested market. Nevertheless, on the basis that we’ve seen a few MG Cybersters knocking about these days, it seems not everyone is turned off by China’s idea of what a battery-powered sports car can be. Denza Z buyers will require deeper pockets, granted, and be oblivious to the charms of better known rivals - although the size of its headline numbers might yet convince a few to take the plunge. But maybe wait till we’ve delivered an on-road verdict, too, eh?
SPECIFICATION | Denza Z Racing
Engine: 76kWh LFP Blade Battery 2.0, three electric motors
Transmission: Single-speed, torque-vectoring tri-motor all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 1,605
Torque (lb ft): 915
0-62mph: 1.96 seconds (with optional semi-slick tyres)
Top speed: 217mph
Weight: 2,250kg
MPG: ~3.1mi/kWh, 236 miles range (WLTP)
Charging: Up to 1,500kW DC “Flash Charging” for 10-70% in 5 mins, 10-97% in 9 mins
Price: £172,900
We need manufacturing jobs on this continent, and a thriving UK industry depends on a thriving European industry, no matter what the Brexit evangelists will tell you.
BYD, and China, are employing the Amazon business model: undercut the opposition through hugely subsidised prices, drive them out of business, then hike prices / lower quality once there is no one left.
Look at the extreme aero required on the McLaren W1 - it literally defines the design of the car - and tell me this 2+2 can do the same thing, with a visibly much smaller diffuser and that rear wing.
Still doesn't look like it can get anywhere that sort of number though! I wonder if someone added a spurious zero onto the end of the number.
We need manufacturing jobs on this continent, and a thriving UK industry depends on a thriving European industry, no matter what the Brexit evangelists will tell you.
BYD, and China, are employing the Amazon business model: undercut the opposition through hugely subsidised prices, drive them out of business, then hike prices / lower quality once there is no one left.
In the meantime, maybe you should direct your ire at those who have purchased BYD's or for that matter any Chinese products.
We need manufacturing jobs on this continent, and a thriving UK industry depends on a thriving European industry, no matter what the Brexit evangelists will tell you.
BYD, and China, are employing the Amazon business model: undercut the opposition through hugely subsidised prices, drive them out of business, then hike prices / lower quality once there is no one left.
In the meantime, maybe you should direct your ire at those who have purchased BYD's or for that matter any Chinese products.
The implication is that BYD is some plucky David challenger brand, up against the Goliaths. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Look at the extreme aero required on the McLaren W1 - it literally defines the design of the car - and tell me this 2+2 can do the same thing, with a visibly much smaller diffuser and that rear wing.
Still doesn't look like it can get anywhere that sort of number though! I wonder if someone added a spurious zero onto the end of the number.
These figures are looking as believable as China's official fuel consumption figures.
We need manufacturing jobs on this continent, and a thriving UK industry depends on a thriving European industry, no matter what the Brexit evangelists will tell you.
BYD, and China, are employing the Amazon business model: undercut the opposition through hugely subsidised prices, drive them out of business, then hike prices / lower quality once there is no one left.
In the meantime, maybe you should direct your ire at those who have purchased BYD's or for that matter any Chinese products.
The implication is that BYD is some plucky David challenger brand, up against the Goliaths. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Throwing out all your Chinese made products now, are we? Going to knock on your neighbours doors and barate them for buying Chinese EV's. Yeah, sure you are. A keyboard warrior if ever there was one.
P.s. it's a shame you went on the attack because the exchange could have been far more constructive and agreeable. Your loss.
We need manufacturing jobs on this continent, and a thriving UK industry depends on a thriving European industry, no matter what the Brexit evangelists will tell you.
BYD, and China, are employing the Amazon business model: undercut the opposition through hugely subsidised prices, drive them out of business, then hike prices / lower quality once there is no one left.
In the meantime, maybe you should direct your ire at those who have purchased BYD's or for that matter any Chinese products.
The implication is that BYD is some plucky David challenger brand, up against the Goliaths. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Throwing out all your Chinese made products now, are we? Going to knock on your neighbours doors and barate them for buying Chinese EV's. Yeah, sure you are. A keyboard warrior if ever there was one.
P.s. it's a shame you went on the attack because the exchange could have been far more constructive and agreeable. Your loss.
I've tried, twice, to ask why you are so keen for this to unsettle the market. You are the one refusing to answer and instead resorting to ad hominem attacks.
If I wanted to attack you, I'd take aim at your grammar. It's a pretty easy target.
Within ~10 years of EV s being mainstream, progress has reached the point where charging an EV takes the same time as filling a vehicle with fuel
Pull up to a pump in your Lambo Revuelto fill up 50 litres in optimum conditions which will take you the same 205 miles and it will take about 90 seconds, opposed to 540 seconds for your EV. The EV is still 6 times slower.
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