China’s BYD Unveils Electric Supercar Super 9: Lamborghini Lookalike?

BYD celebrates its 30th anniversary
Through the Fang Cheng Bao brand
Electric supercar Super 9 revealed

When customers think of Chinese vehicles, one of the first images that comes to mind is counterfeit vehicles. This is not just nonsense; there are quite a few cases where Chinese automakers copy the design and functional elements of famous brands’ vehicles and sell them at low prices. Of course, there are currently cases where companies compete with their unique designs.

Recently, another vehicle embroiled in a design plagiarism controversy appeared in China. It is the Super 9, a convertible electric vehicle unveiled by Fang Cheng Bao, BYD’s electric vehicle brand. The vehicle is said to be BYD’s model commemorating its 30th anniversary. We feel like we’ve seen it a lot of times somewhere, and we’ll take a closer look at it this time.

Fang Cheng Bao Super 9
Looks like a Lamborghini vehicle

The design of Fang Cheng Bao’s Super 9 resembles that of Lamborghini, Italy’s representative supercar. However, while the Lamborghini is designed with a sharp focus on straight lines, the Super 9 uses curves to create a somewhat soft feel.

The body shape without the front glass and roof resembles the Aventador J. The shape with the windshield omitted is not a unique feature of Lamborghini, but the design is similar and reminiscent of the Aventador J. The rear part looks identical to the tail lamp of the Countach LPI800-4. Above and below, spoilers and diffusers with a sporty feel were placed.

Is this a Lamborghini plagiarism?
It turns out there was a reason

Due to its similar design to Lamborghini, one might think that it was plagiarized. But this is not true. The vehicle was designed by Wolfgang Egger, who worked as a Lamborghini designer. As a result, it reflects a design that is quite similar to previous Lamborghini vehicles.

The interior of the Super 9 features a dual-cockpit and carbon fiber seats. In the case of the steering wheel, Tesla’s reminiscent yoke steering wheel was used to create a sporty feel. The unveiled vehicle can be seen as only a concept car, very close to the mass-produced model. The mass-produced model will be released under the name Bao 9.

Design controversy similar to Super 9
It’s pretty common

Cases like the design controversy over the Fang Cheng Bao Super 9 are quite common in the automobile design industry. Most vehicle designers have their design philosophy; it is not easy to change, and they are not willing to change it. As a result, even at a new brand, designers tend to design vehicles that have a similar feel to the vehicles of the brand they previously worked for.

Examples of this can also be found in South Korean vehicles. The first-generation Kia K7 is a representative example. The vehicle in question was designed by former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, resulting in a strong Audi design feel overall. Genesis, which is said to have followed Bentley, can be seen as a similar case as it results from the vehicle design overseen by former Bentley designer Luc Donckerwolke.