Sixteen years after Michael Schumacher appeared to defy physics in a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a Chinese electric vehicle has taken a shot at the same trick, and done it, with a car nearly three times the SLS AMG’s weight. Voyah says the feat was captured on video with zero special effects, no stunt-specific hardware, and a car buyers can actually order.
How Voyah Did It
Dongfeng’s premium EV brand says the Passion S entered the curved tunnel wall at roughly 130 km/h (81 mph) and a precise 16-degree steering angle, using centrifugal force to complete the rotation. Voyah claims a speed drop of just 3-5 km/h below that threshold would have caused the car to lose traction and fall. The stunt is a notable follow-up to Voyah’s track record of extreme public demonstrations, which recently saw the brand’s Taishan X8 SUV launched off a 51-foot ramp to stress-test its body and suspension.
Voyah
Unlike the SLS AMG, a lightweight two-seat supercar, the Passion S is a 5,000 lb SUV that Voyah says completed the loop with its full battery pack and driver-assist hardware intact, without any weight-saving modifications. Power comes from a dual-motor AWD system producing a combined 637 hp and 564 Nm of torque, riding on an 800-volt silicon carbide platform Voyah rates at 93.8 percent drive efficiency.
A Tribute To The Disputed Ad
The original 2010 Mercedes-Benz commercial has never fully shaken accusations that a professional stunt driver, not Schumacher, was behind the wheel. Voyah is leaning into that history rather than avoiding it, framing its own loop as proof performed by a standard retail car rather than a specially built stunt rig. Chinese automakers have leaned hard into viral demonstrations lately, though not every one has landed as cleanly – a Chery SUV failed while attempting a similar homage to a famous Range Rover stunt.
Pricing And Launch
Voyah
The Voyah Passion S entered pre-sales in July, with its top-spec trim priced around $45,600. Full retail pricing arrives at the car’s official launch on August 15, the same playbook Chinese EV makers like Xiaomi have used to generate headlines ahead of a launch, stacking a viral stunt on top of a competitive spec sheet before pricing is even final.