REVOLUTIONARY OR RIDICULOUS? YANGWANG U9’S SUSPENSION STUNT
The YangWang U9 suspension stunt has divided opinion across the automotive world: is BYD's 1,287-horsepower electric hypercar showcasing a genuine engineering breakthrough, or is the ability to jump over a pothole simply the most theatrical way to sell a car? Either way, the DiSus-X Intelligent Body Control System at the heart of the stunt is real, it works, and it does things no other production hypercar can do.
What Is the DiSus-X Suspension System?
The DiSus-X is an active hydraulic suspension system with 75 mm of total travel. It can independently control each corner of the car, allowing the U9 to lift its body, balance on three wheels, and briefly launch itself airborne. The promotional video shows the car clearing an 8-foot-wide water-filled pothole by jumping approximately 1.4 inches off the ground, navigated without a driver using the car's autonomous systems. It also drove over metal spike strips and through coloured dust patches while remaining driverless, each test designed to demonstrate the real-time adaptability of the suspension and sensor suite working together.
The system also enables a party trick: the U9 can "dance" by pumping each corner up and down independently, which Yangwang has leaned into for its promotional content with considerable success. Top Gear drove the U9 and confirmed the suspension behaves as advertised in real-world conditions, describing it as a car that can genuinely dance.
The U9's Core Performance Credentials
Strip away the stunts and the YangWang U9 still makes a compelling case on conventional hypercar metrics. Four independent 240 kW permanent-magnet synchronous motors produce a combined 1,287 hp and 1,680 Nm of torque. The 0 to 100 km/h time is 2.36 seconds and the top speed reaches 309 km/h in standard form. A Track Edition variant subsequently set a new EV top speed record. BYD confirmed the Track Edition hit 472.41 km/h in a verified run, and the U9 Xtreme variant pushes output to 3,000 hp with a Nürburgring lap time under seven minutes.
The quad-motor architecture means each wheel is driven independently, which is what makes the DiSus-X stunts possible in the first place. The autonomous systems governing the pothole jump rely on the same individual wheel-torque control that makes the U9 exceptionally capable in cornering.
Engineering Marvel or Marketing Exercise?
The honest answer is both. The technology required to execute a controlled autonomous jump in a car is genuinely complex, and BYD has invested seriously in it. The practical value of jumping over potholes at speed is close to zero for any owner. But as a demonstration of where active suspension and autonomous control systems are heading, the stunt is a more effective proof of concept than any press release could deliver.
For those interested in what high-performance electric vehicles can do beyond raw power output, the RAESR Tachyon Speed electric hypercar and the Nitid Trinity electric hypercar represent different points on the same spectrum: machines where electric powertrains are enabling performance approaches that combustion architecture cannot replicate. Explore the full range of cutting-edge vehicles at TheArsenale to see the current frontier of automotive technology.
Photo: BYD
