Dongfeng says its production-spec Voyah Passion S completed a full 360-degree tunnel loop, recreating the famous Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG commercial from 2010Chinese EV makers are no longer making headlines only for price and technology.
Dongfeng has released a dramatic video of its new Voyah Passion S electric SUV completing a full 360-degree tunnel loop, paying tribute to one of the most iconic automotive advertisements ever made.
The stunt recreates the famous Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG commercial that originally featured Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher driving upside down inside a tunnel.
A tribute to an automotive legendWhether or not the original Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG commercial was entirely real remains a topic of debate more than a decade later.
By recreating the famous tunnel loop using its latest electric SUV, Voyah has ensured the iconic stunt is once again making headlines—this time with an EV at the centre of attention.
Dongfeng says its production-spec Voyah Passion S completed a full 360-degree tunnel loop, recreating the famous Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG commercial from 2010
Chinese EV makers are no longer making headlines only for price and technology. They are increasingly using spectacular engineering demonstrations to showcase their capabilities. After BYD’s Yangwang U9 became the world’s fastest electric production car with a 496.22 km/h top speed, Dongfeng-owned Voyah has now recreated the famous Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG tunnel loop stunt with its new Passion S electric SUV.
Dongfeng has released a dramatic video of its new Voyah Passion S electric SUV completing a full 360-degree tunnel loop, paying tribute to one of the most iconic automotive advertisements ever made. The stunt recreates the famous Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG commercial that originally featured Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher driving upside down inside a tunnel.
Voyah claims production SUV completed the stunt
According to Dongfeng, the stunt was carried out at a closed test tunnel in Wuhan using a standard production-spec Voyah Passion S, with no modifications or weight reduction. The company says engineers calculated that the SUV needed to enter the tunnel wall at around 130 km/h while maintaining a steering angle of 16 degrees.
At that speed, centrifugal force keeps the tyres pressed against the tunnel surface, allowing the vehicle to complete the full loop before returning safely to the ground. Voyah also claims that even a speed reduction of 3-5 km/h during the manoeuvre could have caused the vehicle to lose grip and fall from the tunnel ceiling.
While the company says the stunt was completed successfully, visible tyre marks on the tunnel ceiling suggest multiple attempts may have been carried out before achieving the final run. A video shared on X, shows one such unsuccessful attempt.
637 hp electric SUV
The stunt vehicle is powered by a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup producing 637 hp and 765 Nm of torque. It is underpinned by an 800V architecture with a 98 kWh battery pack, offering up to 700 km CLTC range for the rear-wheel-drive version and around 660 km CLTC for the dual-motor AWD model.
The flagship AWD variant accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. Voyah says the SUV retains its full battery pack and complete suite of driver-assistance hardware, including Huawei-developed ADAS technology, during the stunt.
A tribute to an automotive legend
Whether or not the original Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG commercial was entirely real remains a topic of debate more than a decade later. By recreating the famous tunnel loop using its latest electric SUV, Voyah has ensured the iconic stunt is once again making headlines—this time with an EV at the centre of attention.
