The Denza Z is available in Europe starting at 142,900 pounds. On paper, it is faster and cheaper than the 911 Turbo S.
BYD has opened orders for the Denza Z in the UK following the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The electric model starts at £142,900, delivers 1,604 horsepower, and in the Racing version accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.96 seconds.
This is a direct challenge to Porsche, Mercedes, and BMW. It’s also the first moment when the Denza stops being an exotic addition to BYD and begins competing in the premium segment in Europe.
1,604 Horsepower, Three Engines, and 800 V
The Denza Z is available in three variants: Coupe, Spider, and Racing. All are built on the e3 platform, feature three engines, 1,240 Nm of torque, and the same 76 kWh BYD Blade Battery 2.0.
The most powerful Racing version with optional semi-slick tires achieves 0-100 km/h in 1.96 seconds. The Coupe takes 2.25 seconds, while the Spider needs 2.30 seconds. The listed top speed for the Racing is 250 km/h. The power is impressive, but the battery capacity is less so—76 kWh with such performance means it’s more of a sprinting toy than a highway warrior.
BYD adds its own steer-by-wire system and Disus-M suspension with magnetorheological dampers. The manufacturer also highlights features like the car “dancing” or jumping over obstacles. It’s impressive, but for European customers, what matters more is how well it performs after 20,000 km, not just in demos.
Cheaper than the Porsche 911 Turbo S, but with a Chinese price tag
In the UK, the prices are as follows:
Coupe: 142,900 pounds
Spider: 159,900 pounds
Racing: 172,900 pounds
For comparison, the Porsche 911 Turbo S starts at £199,100. That means the top-tier Denza Z Racing is £26,200 cheaper and, on paper, faster in reaching 100 km/h, as Porsche lists a time of 2.5 seconds.
In China, the differences are even more striking. The Denza Z Coupe costs 680,000 RMB, the Spider 780,000 RMB, and the Racing 1.18 million RMB. This is roughly $100,000, $115,000, and $175,000 respectively, so Europe pays a significant premium for transportation costs, tariffs, and brand positioning.
According to WLTP standards, the Coupe has a range of 410 km, the Spider 400 km, and the Racing 380 km. All versions use the 800 V architecture and BYD Flash Charging system. The manufacturer claims a 10-70% charge in 5 minutes and a 10-97% charge in 9 minutes. On paper, that’s incredible. In practice, we still need to see the peak power, charging curve, and battery temperature, as mere percentage ranges don’t tell us much.
The car has a length of 4,780 mm, a width of 1,990 mm, a height of 1,350 mm, and an axle spacing of 2,780 mm. It is therefore slightly larger than the Porsche 911 and more similar in size to the Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe.
BYD claims it received over 1,000 orders in 5 days since sales began. This is not yet proof that Europe will buy Chinese supercars on a large scale, but the signal is clear: Denza didn’t come here just to be a curiosity. Which has a better spec sheet on paper today, the Denza Z or the Porsche 911 Turbo S?
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