China’s BYD Wants to Challenge Toyota GR, Nissan Nismo, and Hyundai N

Key Points

• Performance sub-brands give automakers credibility and appeal beyond basic transportation.
• BYD plans to develop genuine performance models with real upgrades, not just cosmetic changes.
• BYD's Yangwang U9 hypercar showcases their high-performance engineering capabilities globally.

Halo Products Promote Aspirations

Performance divisions aren’t about moving huge volumes. They exist to give brands a bit of an edge – something that signals they know what makes driving fun, even if most buyers never go near the flagship models. Toyota has Gazoo Racing, Nissan has Nismo, and Hyundai’s N division has built a real following. These sub-brands add credibility to the lineup, showing that the company cares about more than just getting from A to B.

Chinese brands have mostly skipped the performance game, focusing instead on tech, value, and electrification. But that’s starting to change. BYD, now the world’s sixth-largest automaker and recently ahead of Ford in global sales, looks ready to carve out a performance identity of its own.

A Global Undertaking from a Local Push

In an interview with Carsales, BYD Australia’s Chief Product Officer, Sajid Hasan, says the local team wants to work with headquarters in China on a real performance strategy.

Hasan points out that real performance sub-brands are built from the home market up, with long-term plans and real substance. That rules out quick sticker packs or limited runs. The expectation is for genuine mechanical upgrades and clear differences from standard models.

Some models already stand out as likely candidates. There’s also talk about tougher versions of future models, like a more aggressive Shark 6 that could go up against Ford Performance offerings like the Ranger Raptor.

Motorsport is also on the table, as a way to link innovation and competition back to the cars people can actually buy. For now, though, it’s still just a strategy discussion, not a confirmed product plan.

BYD Isn’t Exactly New to Speed

BYD might seem new to the performance scene, but it’s already shown what it can do at the top end through its Yangwang luxury brand. The Yangwang U9 hypercar has made headlines with claims of nearly 3,000 horsepower and a top speed over 300 mph – yes, faster than a Bugatti – proving the engineering is already there. One even showed up in Miami, drawing attention to Chinese performance EVs, even though BYD doesn’t officially sell passenger cars in the US.

Whether BYD’s performance project, should it happen, makes it to America is still up in the air. The brand has to get here first before we see its mettle in the metal.