The new YangWang U9 supercar from BYD recently premiered at the Shanghai Auto Show and beyond rocking many of the features we’ve come to expect from EVs, it has some unique tricks up its sleeve. These include an advanced suspension system unlike any other we’ve seen before.
While presenting the electric supercar in China, BYD’s YangWang brand showed it bouncing up and down on its way to the stage. Seeing a supercar do this is quite strange and more akin to what we’d expect from an innovative luxury sedan or SUV, like Mercedes did with the GLE’s air suspension a few years ago. BYD’s system is even more advanced, however, and even more impressive.
Beneath the skin of the U9 is what YangWang dubs its ‘Disus-X’ suspension system. This system comprises of the carmaker’s Intelligent Damping Body Control System (Disus-C), Intelligent Hydraulic Body Control System (Disus-P), and Intelligent Air Body Control System (Disus-A), and provides complex vertical, lateral, and longitudinal motion control, “outpacing its peers” with their most advanced systems, BYD says. The bouncing showcased by the carmaker relies solely on the kinetic power of the suspension.
A second, even more intriguing video of the U9 was also shared during the presentation. It shows the bright yellow supercar driving on three wheels, using the suspension system to lift up the corner without a wheel to avoid scraping the brake rotor along the ground. This certainly isn’t a feature that will be used often by customers but could be handy if they ever experience a serious tire or wheel failure.
Read: BYD’s YangWang U9 Electric Supercar Heads To Shanghai Auto Show With Revised Aero
“The BYD DiSus System is the first self-developed intelligent body control system launched by a Chinese automobile company, marking the breakthrough from zero to one,” chairman and president of BYD, Wang Chuanfu said. “The BYD DiSus System will further secure the globally pioneering stance for BYD in the industry.”
BYD notes that the system can also be used to reduce body roll, minimize the risk of a rollover, and aid in full-throttle acceleration and emergency braking.
Of course, there’s much more to the U9 than its intriguing suspension system. It is underpinned by the brand’s Yisigang EV platform and features four electric motors combining to deliver 1,100 hp and 944 lb-ft (1,280 Nm) of torque. It will apparently hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 2 seconds and be capable of traveling around 435 miles (700 km) on a single charge.
