BYD Yangwang U7 reproduces Audi’s famous launch ramp stunt

Back in January, Chinese automaker BYD made its Yangwang U7 hypercar climb a slope of the Yabuli Ski Resort in China, paying homage to a similar stunt Audi used in 1986 to advertise its Quattro AWD technology.

The all-electric sedan packed 1,306 PS (1,288 hp / 960 kW) and wore 21-inch spiked tires to the test. It ascended a ski ramp 180 meters (590 feet) long and 85 meters (279 feet) tall, occasionally climbing at an angle as steep as 37.5 degrees. Temperatures at the starting and final points of the route varied from minus 18 to minus 27 Celsius (–0.4…–16.6 ºF).

Judging by the footage of the climb, the driver didn’t experience any major difficulties performing the stunt. After a successful ascension, BYD attempted to do the same using normal, non-spiked tires, but the car slid back down on the first try. The second time around, the driver inspected the slope to detect areas with the best traction and accelerated in advance, which actually allowed him to climb it to the very top. Still, the 3-tonne (6,600-lb) EV visibly struggled to gain traction throughout the ascension, taking much more time to get to the top.

The automaker added infographics to the video to highlight the moments where the torque vectoring systems of the U7 saloon were visibly at work. As for the metallic cord running down the middle of the slope, the company explained that it was merely a necessary safeguard and had no effect whatsoever on the performance of the car.