by Donfeng’s Voyah brand wanted headlines for its new electric SUV, so it drove the Passion S through a full 360-degree loop inside a Chinese tunnel, recreating the famous stunt Michael Schumacher pulled off in a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG back in 2010.
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Photos and specs for the Passion S have been floating around for months, but the official launch came only late last week, timed to land alongside the stunt. Going upside down in a tunnel says nothing about how Voyah’s Xiaomi YU7 rival drives, though it did exactly what it was meant to do online.
The Internet Cried AI, Voyah Responds
Shortly after Voyah released its expertly edited clip of the Passion S completing the 360-degree loop in the tunnel, many suggested it may have been the work of artificial intelligence. Before long, separate footage leaked to Weibo showing a camouflaged Passion S prototype attempting to complete the loop but falling and crashing onto the road below.
CarNewsChina, which picked up that clip, points out that a company willing to write off multiple prototypes is probably using real cars rather than a render farm.
Voyah quickly responded, releasing the raw, unedited footage from the stunt. It shows the Passion S hitting the ramp at roughly 81 mph (130 km/h) and performing a complete loop, but only just. As the SUV spun upside down, it appears to have briefly lost contact with the ceiling before the wheels smashed into the down-ramp, allowing it to complete the loop.
If you review the footage in slow motion, you’ll notice the lower corner of the Passion S’s front bumper took an absolute beating as it came off the steep down ramp and back onto the road. In the edited clip, the Passion S is shown completing the loop unscathed and emerging out of the tunnel without a single scratch. Evidently, this part was filmed with another model.
Cheap And Powerful
Voyah has confirmed the Passion S will be offered with 81 kWh and 98 kWh battery packs, and all versions will use an 800-volt electrical architecture, allowing the pack to be charged from 20-80 percent in ten minutes.
Both rear- and all-wheel-drive models will be offered, although we only have specifications for the dual-motor version, which delivers 637 hp and 564 lb-ft (765 Nm) of torque, allowing the SUV to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.5 seconds. The rear-wheel-drive model has a claimed CLTC range of 459 miles (740 km), while the all-wheel-drive version should be good for 391 miles (630 km) between stops. Prices range between 229,900 yuan ($34,100) and 279,900 yuan ($41,500).
