Denza has revealed the Z concept at the Shanghai motor show, its first dedicated sports-car project. The BYD-owned marque used the prototype not simply as a styling exercise but as a showcase for a new chassis architecture in which several core controls are handled electronically.
Denza says the Z will use its in-house steer-by-wire system, eliminating a fixed mechanical link between the steering wheel and the road wheels. The company combines that with brake-by-wire, powertrain control and suspension management in an integrated by-wire chassis. The concept also incorporates Denza's Yi San Fang vehicle-control technology.
Another key element is the DiSus-M magnetorheological suspension. Denza claims a response time below 10 milliseconds and continuously variable compression and rebound damping. Inside, the concept uses carbon-fibre seats, a safety cage and a folding steering wheel made possible by the absence of a conventional steering column.
Denza did not provide a complete powertrain specification or a production timetable at the reveal, so the Z remained a concept rather than a confirmed showroom model. Its purpose was still clear: BYD was signalling another move into the high-performance luxury segment and showing that it intends to differentiate its sports cars through proprietary chassis technology, not simply very high electric-motor output.