BYD used the opening day of the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed to push three brands at once, from plug-in hybrid hatchbacks to electric hypercars.
The Chinese group brought BYD, Denza and Yangwang to Goodwood House, with eight debuts spread across the First Glance area, Supercar Paddock and its 2,016 sq metre stand. BYD called it the largest single-company stand in the event’s history.
The main draw was Denza’s new Z sports car. The Coupe and Racing versions made their global debut, joining the Z Spider that was shown earlier this year in Beijing. All three use a three-motor electric setup rated at 1,604PS and 1,260Nm.
The Z Coupe is pitched as a 2+2 grand tourer, although its 2.25-second 0–100kph time puts it well beyond normal GT territory. The Z Racing goes further, with a more aggressive aero package and a claimed 1,060kg of downforce at 349kph. Its 0–100kph time is listed at 1.96 seconds.
BYD also used Goodwood to put its flash charging system in front of the public. The headline claim is “Ready in Five”, meaning a 10% to 70% charge in five minutes. BYD also quotes 10% to 97% in nine minutes, or 12 minutes in extreme cold.
The same stand included the Denza Z9GT shooting brake, which will be the first UK model to get the system, while the Denza Bao 5 made its European appearance on BYD’s off-road course.
The BYD Shark pick-up joined it there, giving Goodwood visitors a look at the group’s plug-in hybrid off-road hardware.
At the smaller end of the display sat the Dolphin G DM-i, a plug-in hybrid supermini with a claimed combined range of up to 1,040km on a full tank and battery.
BYD is pitching it as the only PHEV in its segment, which would give it a different angle from the usual small EV story in Europe.
Yangwang supplied the other end of the scale. The U9 Xtreme, which BYD calls the world’s fastest production car, has more than 3,000PS and holds a 496kph top-speed record. It also tackled Goodwood’s narrow 1.86km hillclimb.
The U8L luxury SUV and U7 saloon completed the Yangwang showing. The U8L brought the brand’s Emergency Flotation Mode, although dry weather meant there was no chance to demonstrate it.
BYD said the U7 had been driven from China to Goodwood, helped by its DiSus-Z active suspension.
