BYD's New Supercar Can Drive With Just Three Wheels

Chinese automaker BYD debuted its Yangwang sub-brand back in January with a 1000-hp SUV that could moonwalk. Not one to rest on its laurels, the Yangwang imprint is following up that announcement with a supercar that can drive on three wheels like a Citroën DS.

Although the Yangwang U9's official launch is still a week away, the brand brought out a variant of the concept to showcase its new DiSus "body control system." The variant in the U9 is called DiSus-X, and it apparently allows the U9 to drive short distances on just three wheels. In the first clip, a U9 can be seen doing just that.

A second, longer video shows the U9's suspension system pitching and rolling the car like a more subtle version of a lowrider modified for the sole purpose of this type of stunt. That, of course, concludes with the U9 jumping lightly into the air off the front axle.

While the appeal of hydraulic tricks on a roadgoing supercar is almost entirely in the charm of being able to say your car can do it, the ability to balance on three wheels is a unique safety feature with some historical precedence. Citroën DS and ID models equipped with hydraulic suspensions were famously capable of it in the 1960s, with the brand even demonstrating that the car could drive in a straight line immediately after two full-speed punctures on the same side. If BYD is looking for any other new ideas on how to use its hydraulic systems, the DS could also hoist itself up to a jacking point and then raise its own suspension for tire changes.

Pricing and performance numbers for the Yangwang U9 are expected with the car's official unveiling next week. The sub-brand's first product, the U8 SUV, produces 1100 hp from four independent motors and retails for the equivalent of just under $150,000.

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