On the evening of April 16, at the spring conference of the Formula Leopard brand, Xiong Tianbo, general manager of Formula Leopard, and Lian Yubo, chief scientist of BYD, were introducing the new hard-core flagship model Leopard 8 and the personalized off-road concept car SUPER 3 to the audience inside and outside the venue.
At this time, in the corner of the stage, under the red silk, the mysterious new product of the sports car posture has been quietly hiding out of people's sight. Soon, the stunning SUPER 9 two-seater sports car concept car will prove to people that it is the best interpretation of the theme of the conference, "Fang Hua" - if the joint debut of the Leopard 8 and SUPER 3 concept cars has brought about the upgrade of the Formula Leopard product lineup, then the finale of the SUPER 9 has achieved the sublimation of the Formula Leopard brand.
Wild "583"
The "equation" is the embodiment of rational thinking. The combination of Equation and Leopard symbolizes the combination of BYD's advanced and mature new energy vehicle technology and hard-core off-road product style.
In his speech at the press conference, Xiong Tianbo said that since the launch of the first product, the Leopard 5, Formula Leopard has reaped sales of about 20,000 units. For a new brand model priced at around 300,000 yuan, this achievement is already excellent. This also shows that consumers recognize the combination of BYD technology + hard-core off-road style.
Due to the situation, Formula Leopard first released a higher-end model at this press conference, the flagship off-road SUV Leopard 8. The Leopard 8 was born out of the previously released concept car SUPER 8, and its design is inspired by the "Future Starship", which uses the essence of the sci-fi universe to create a flagship benchmark with a sense of futurism, power and majesty.
The next release, the SUPER 3, is the Leopard 3 concept car, a compact hard-core SUV with a more urban driving scene. Based on the inspiration of the "Star Chariot", the concept car uses simple, exaggerated and three-dimensional lines to create a sculptural metal body structure, and the overall style highlights the individual elements, aiming to form a bold personality expression.
It is worth noting that the vehicle-mounted drone platform that was previously unveiled as an accessory for the U8 also appeared with the SUPER 3 this time, which shows the eclecticism of Equation Leopard in product positioning.
Experience the elegance of the "leopard".
With the release of Leopard 8 and SUPER 3, Formula Leopard's "583" hard-core product family has been launched, which has made fans of the Formula Leopard brand more addicted.
But that's not enough. Equation Leopard does not intend to limit its brand positioning to "hardcore", just as "Leopard" is never limited to wildness. The elegance of the leopard is equally appealing. Positioned as a professional sports car in the Speedster category, the SUPER 9 features a "space cockpit" style with dual cabs and an open roof design. The sinuous curves not only outline the elegant posture of the body, but also design nine air ducts on the surface of the body, which play a role in optimizing the aerodynamic characteristics.
The collection of the "583" hardcore family has evolved the market coverage of the Formula Leopard brand from the flowering of the Leopard 5 to a comprehensive coverage of the family, while the SUPER 9 concept car and the "Leopard 9" sports car followed by it have realized the "three-dimensionalization" of the Formula Leopard product lineup in one fell swoop.
Xiong Tianbo said that the release of SUPER 9 means the first landing of Equation Leopard's "2+X" product system. With the "583" hard-core family and the sports car products led by SUPER 9 as the fulcrum, Formula Leopard will further explore more product categories according to user needs in the future.
To sublimate the tribute to Fanghua
From one point to one side to the three-dimensional matrix, Equation Leopard achieved the sublimation of brand positioning at this press conference. However, the key to realizing the transition from flat to three-dimensional in the product lineup of Formula Leopard, the SUPER 9 concept car, is not a whim of Formula Leopard or BYD.
Xiong Tianbo revealed at the press conference that the roots of the SUPER 9 can be traced back to BYD's S8, China's first hardtop convertible sports car, built 15 years ago. At the level at that time, the S8 could only be regarded as solving the "have-not" problem of domestic hard-top roadsters. However, as a bold attempt by BYD, which was halfway through the business at that time, S8 "planted the seeds of SUPER 9".
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of BYD Group, and Equation Leopard has also built the SUPER 9 and the "583" family as a "gift" to pay tribute to BYD's 30 years of glory.
Xiong Tianbo said that over the past 30 years, BYD has been committed to innovation with the dream of "changing the world with technology", leading benchmark technologies in consumer electronics, automobiles, new energy, rail transit and other fields, and creating a series of eye-catching products and experiences.
Thirty years ago, BYD's start-up coincided with the first take-off of China's automotive industry, and BYD seized the opportunity and achieved its current position. At a time when the automotive industry is in the era of electrification and personalization, the best way to "pay tribute" to Formula Leopard is to seize the opportunities of the times and let go of innovation like BYD back then. As Xiong Tianbo said: "Explore more possibilities of car product forms and car life with users." ”
Text/Yang Zheng