Recently, I was invited by BYD to check out their Zhengzhou racetrack, which won’t officially open until August 2025. During the visit, we explored seven preset scenarios, including racing tracks, icy surfaces, circuit paths, detours, off-roading, floating water, and sandy slopes, to experience how their products perform in various conditions. Naturally, the most anticipated moments were the U9 supercar making its debut, along with the B5 off-roader tackling climbs and the U8 charging through the sand.
Located in Zhengzhou, Henan, the BYD racetrack is the brand’s second racing venue, following the first which is in Hefei, Anhui. Additionally, a third racetrack is currently under construction in Shaoxing, Zhejiang. The Zhengzhou facility spans over 150,000 square meters—just to give you an idea of how massive that is, it’s equivalent to 21 standard football fields, or about 1/8 of a Disneyland park. As mentioned at the beginning, the Zhengzhou racetrack comprises seven distinct scenes: a 1,758-meter-long track featuring nine bends, a simulated icy surface, and low-friction lanes designed for learning how to regain control when skidding. The multi-functional experience area, which covers over 15,000 square meters, primarily serves for slalom and handling tests. There’s also an off-road section with 27 different challenges, including a slope with a steep gradient of 42 degrees, a water pool that measures 70 meters long and 15 meters wide, and sand dunes that hold two Guinness World Records.
Although it’s primarily a racetrack, it can also be viewed as an experiential center, as the venue opens its doors to the public for paid experiences of the seven scenarios mentioned earlier. Prices range from 599 yuan to 6,666 yuan, depending on which experience one wishes to try and which car to drive. The most expensive package includes city transfers in Zhengzhou and one night’s accommodation at a hotel in Zhengzhou.
低摩擦環道
Out of the seven activities this time, we couldn’t try three of them. One was the water pool, as the temperature in the morning was only 2 degrees, causing a thin layer of ice to form on the surface of the pool, so we had to skip it. Another was the low-friction ring road, where the company arranged for two Denza Z9 GTs to perform demonstrations. The two cars first executed drifts on the ring road made of over 30,000 basalt bricks and then circled around on dry land outside the ring. Unfortunately, we missed the chance to personally experience the car’s performance under both controlled and uncontrolled conditions. However, we did have a blast in the next simulated icy surface activity.
模擬冰面
The so-called ice surface is actually created by continuously spraying water onto the road to simulate the effect of ice. However, the tricky part is that when the car enters a designated area, movable panels hidden underground will suddenly cause the rear wheels to swing left or right, resulting in a loss of control and a tailspin, testing the driver’s On-site reactions. During the first two runs with the ESC activated, I maintained a speed of 45 km/h. When the rear of the car suddenly swerved left or right, all I had to do was steer gently in the opposite direction, and the ESC system would correct it for me. Basically, even a novice can feel like a genius when they know how to countersteer. However, when the speed increased to 50 km/h, although it was only a bit faster by less than 10 km/h (with the ESC still on), the tail’s swing became much larger, requiring quicker and more significant reactions and steering angles. I then turned off the ESC to give it another try, but I lost control and spun out beyond the wet area. Luckily, the speed wasn’t high, so there was no accident. My instructor next to me suggested trying again. Although I still spun out, I did manage to control it much better, and I believe that with a few more attempts, it would be just fine. The biggest takeaway from this experience is that you should never turn the ESC off irresponsibly, but even with the ESC helping you Rescue vehicle, if the speed is too high, there will still be danger—keep that in mind!
多功能體驗區
On a vast flat area spanning 15,300 square meters, obstacles are set up for activities like the moose test and slalom, aimed at testing drivers’ reactions as they navigate through snow poles. Since this isn’t a timed competition, speed doesn’t need to be overly fast; the main principle is to avoid knocking over the snow poles. After all, the space is quite large, and there are many poles, so it wouldn’t be ideal to have someone constantly picking them up!
This time, the test vehicles include the Seal 06 DM-i station wagon and the Seal 6 sedan. Since I’m a huge fan of station wagons, I jumped right in without a second thought. Even though everyone knows that station wagons aren’t as agile as sedans in these scenarios, after taking a lap, I felt confident enough to step on the gas a bit more. The front-end responsiveness is impressive, and the rear is obedient; even with a length of nearly 4.9 meters and a weight of 1.8 tons—which is pretty light compared to today’s electric cars—it still holds its own in tight twists and turns. This ride is definitely no Finality, but it’s surprisingly nimble.
越野區
The off-road area within the venue is currently the largest in all of China, featuring 27 different off-road activities. This includes surfaces with varying elevations, balance boards, U-shaped troughs, and two ramps with different inclines, one reaching an impressive 42 degrees. In the initial round, coaches demonstrated the capabilities of the Denza B5, equipped with a 1.5-liter turbo plug-in hybrid engine, delivering a staggering 687 horsepower and 760 Nm of torque. Whether on or off the road, it handles everything effortlessly. Due to its high torque, the vehicle operates entirely on electric power throughout the course, making even the steep 42-degree incline feel like a walk in the park. Just activate the power mode, and the system locks one of the differentials, enabling the engine to work in unison, allowing the B5 to easily conquer the steep ramp.
Chatting with the coach next to me, he mentioned that in the past, driving this kind of off-road vehicle was quite exhausting and required a lot of effort because there was no assistance at all. However, now with the B5 plug-in hybrid off-roader, tackling rugged terrain has become a breeze. For someone like me, who’s only halfway into off-roading, just hopping into the driver’s seat and switching on all the necessary off-road modes turns a complete novice into an experienced explorer. As we cruised up a relatively gentle slope, the coach said that all I had to do was activate the crawl mode and release the accelerator; I didn’t even need to touch the brakes! The system took care of driving the car Pull up the slope, and then it gently Release back down. I only needed to steer, and feeling the magic of the whole experience was exhilarating. With the powerful torque output of the motor driving the climb, it’s no surprise the coach said that today’s PHEV electric vehicles are so much fun for off-roading!
賽道
If you asked me which segment I’m most excited about among the seven scenes, my answer would definitely be the racetrack. Although the racetrack inside Zhengzhou Racing Circuit isn’t the longest of the two current tracks (Dongguan Circuit is 2.056 kilometers long), its length of 1.785 kilometers, combined with a 550-meter straight and nine bends, is more than enough for some serious fun. Plus, this time the car on the track is the Yu Wang U9, boasting a staggering 1,306 horsepower (torque of 1,680Nm), and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.36 seconds.
Due to time constraints and the number of participants, each person only gets two laps. Eager to get started, I put on my helmet and jumped into the car. But here’s the catch: because the U9 has gullwing doors and sits quite low, it took a bit of finesse (head in first, then slide in) to finally settle into the cabin. Once I adjusted the mirrors and my seat, it was time to gear up and hit the road. The first lap was led by our instructor, who guided us slowly around the track. I remember he said before we took off that we needed to brake hard at the designated brake point. When I reached that spot, I naturally stepped on the brake, only to find that the standard carbon-ceramic brake discs responded super quickly, bringing the car to a sudden halt. The instructor next to me suggested I could ease up on the brakes next time. After navigating through a couple of turns, I got the hang of it—this original braking system offers incredibly direct feedback, and a gentle press delivers an impressive braking response.
By the time I got to the second lap, I had familiarized myself with nine corners, noting that T1 and the two consecutive hairpins T3 and T4 at the end of the straight were crucial. The U9, with its powerful 1,306 horsepower, unleashed its potential on the straight, but the car was just too fast for the short stretch, barely hitting 200 km/h at the end. After chatting with a few experts, it seemed they all agreed on a similar speed. I eased off the throttle and turned into T1, maintaining a steady 80 km/h—the car felt incredibly stable. I tried pushing on the throttle a bit earlier before exiting the corners multiple times, and the rear remained rock solid. My coach seemed to sense my thoughts: indeed, the U9 isn’t just stable; the driver’s seat also served as an excellent support system, inflating to brace my upper body every time I cornered. Unfortunately, enjoyable moments always seem to fly by. After exiting T7, my coach directed both me and the car into the pit area for a driver change…
沙坡
Before setting off, I thought I could sprint up the sand slope that holds two Guinness World Records, but it turns out I could only book a ride experience instead… This towering slope, standing at 29.6 meters with a 28-degree angle, is built with over 6,000 tons of yellow sand, causing clouds of dust with every ascent and descent. Even though I didn’t get to sit inside the car, watching the U8 speed up to the peak and then dive down was absolutely electrifying. The whole process seemed effortless, yet I can imagine it feels very different in reality. Another takeaway from watching the car is discovering a few grains of fine sand lodged between my teeth.
同場加映：迪空間
During this trip to Zhengzhou, apart from experiencing the racetrack, another highlight is visiting the country’s first ever New Energy Vehicle Science Popularization Museum—D-Space, set to open in 2024. Spanning 15,000 square meters, D-Space is a four-story facility featuring various exhibitions. It not only showcases products from brands like BYD, Tengi, Yangwang, and Faraday Future, but also serves as a universal showcase for new energy vehicles, with videos narrating the development history of China’s new energy automotive sector. Each floor of D-Space offers unique features: the ground floor primarily focuses on the development of new energy vehicles in China; the second floor highlights the aesthetics between design and engineering; while the third floor is dedicated to showcasing technologies, featuring BYD’s core innovations like the blade battery, Easy Four, cloud-tech, and the fifth-generation DM technology. Additionally, there are labs that engage the senses with sound, scent, and energy experiments, allowing visitors to experience the benefits of automotive design and clean energy.
