BYD’s new luxury brand Yangwang surprised everyone when it unveiled an electric hypercar prototype during the premiere of its upcoming U8 SUV. The 1,100 hp electric hypercar was meant to showcase the new brand’s design language and its capabilities as an EV brand.

It turns out that Yangwang was serious about the U9, and we have the first photos of the highly camouflaged test car roaming the streets of China. We immediately notice the less dramatic headlights, but these may be placement units. The overall shape of the car remains almost the same as the prototype.

The clear rear fin is gone from the test vehicle, but the front bumper under the camouflage appears to be the same shape. The roof is well covered and the images themselves are not of the highest quality, making it difficult to recognize details.

The Yangwang U9 shares an EV platform with the Yangwang U8 SUV, which means four 275 hp electric motors each drive individual wheels. Combined torque of 1,280 Nm and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 2 seconds.

The car is said to come with at least a 100kWh battery to give it a range of 700km under CLTC test rules, but in reality this will be unattainable. Still, even 400km would be great with a car this good looking.

As you might expect, the U9 won’t be cheap. The car is expected to sell for RMB 1,000,000 or almost US$150,000, which is a significant amount even considering its performance. When the U9 finally hits the market, it will face competition from the slightly faster Aion Hyper SSR. Chinese buyers can finally get their hands on the Tesla S Plaid, which is just as fast and has room for five. Decision, decision…

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