Hot or not? Here's what designer Frank Stephenson thinks of the Yangwang U9

Frank Stephenson is a car designer with more hits than the Beatles, including the Escort RS Cossie, first BMW Mini, Maser MC12, numerous Ferraris and the McLaren P1. These days he runs his own consultancy – Frank Stephenson Design. Here he shares his views on Yangwang's U9 with Top Gear

A new wave of Chinese car design is upon us. While traditional European and US marques play it safe, Yangwang has thrown the rulebook out of the window. The Chinese are not merely catching up, they’re looking further ahead, charting a future in which they define the direction of aesthetics and performance. 

The U9’s design is unapologetically extrovert. Rather than conforming to European or US tastes, the U9 shows how the Chinese design language is evolving, without any heritage or baggage from the past holding them back.

But the U9 is far from visually harmonious. The convergence of edginess and the abundance of design elements are something closer to a Fast & Furious fantasy than an attempt at timelessness. There is energy, but aesthetic overload has been the route taken to achieve it. As a result, while the U9 will turn heads, it will struggle to earn the kind of enduring respect reserved for the supercar greats.

Still, there’s something thrilling about the audacity. Yangwang isn’t playing it safe – whether you love or question the result, that in itself is a sign that the balance of power in automotive design is shifting.

Headlamp treatment screams of aesthetic overload! Thoughtfully placed aero and cooling elements.

Clean and minimal greenhouse design. Split 'T' graphic for rear lights.

Split 'T' graphic repeated for rear diffuser. Material break element seems unnecessarily complicated.

Verdict: NOT