Spy shots reveal the 1,300hp Yangwang U7 GT that might never be

Unfortunately, in the fast-moving world of electric cars, some exciting projects get axed as companies try to adapt to the changing market. This appears to be the story of the BYD Yangwang U7 GT, a high-performance electric shooting brake that was recently spotted with very little camouflage. Based on photos leaked by an automotive blogger, the U7 GT looked ready to challenge the world's finest, but its future is uncertain.

Yangwang is the luxury brand of Chinese auto giant BYD, a company that has very quickly become a household name in China and around the world. The brand first introduced the Yangwang U7, a large, powerful electric sedan. The U7 GT was meant to be its more practical and arguably more stylish sibling.

A "shooting brake" is essentially a sporty station wagon. The spy shots revealed a vehicle with an extended, sloping roofline, a split spoiler at the top of the rear window, and a modern, full-width light bar. The car's design included frameless doors and flush door handles.

Inside, the U7 GT was expected to follow the sedan's lead with a cabin dominated by screens. The dashboard featured a triple-screen setup: one for the driver's instruments, a large vertical touchscreen in the center for controls and infotainment, and a third screen for the front passenger. Small screens on the door panels would likely display feeds from side-view cameras instead of using traditional mirrors.

The real headline-grabber for this electric car, however, was its incredible power. The U7 GT was set to use BYD's "e4" platform, which features a quad-motor, all-wheel-drive system. Each motor produces 240 kilowatts, combining for a total output of 960 kW, or approximately 1,300 horsepower. The system also generates a massive 1,168 lb-ft of torque.

To manage all that power, BYD planned to fit the U7 GT with its advanced DiSus-Z suspension. BYD claims this system can make dozens of adjustments every few milliseconds, keeping the car perfectly flat and stable through corners. In a clever twist, the suspension can apparently also perform regenerative damping, capturing energy from road bumps and sending it back to the battery. This is all built on an 800V electrical system, which allows for faster charging and more efficient power delivery.

The U7 GT was expected to be a large vehicle, standing at 207.3 inches long, 78.7 inches wide, and 59.7 inches tall, with a long wheelbase of 124.4 inches, close to the likes of Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo.

Despite these detailed plans and nearly production-ready appearance, the well-regarded Chinese blogger who released the photos suggested the entire U7 GT project may have been put on hold or canceled. Adding some fuel to this rumor, the U7 GT was supposed to have been unveiled already and since BYD has not made any official announcements, the fate of this super wagon may be grim.

Via