BYD’s YangWang U9 Xtreme hits 495.6 km/h, breaks Bugatti Chiron's speed records

There’s a new player at the top of the speed charts, and it doesn’t hail from Europe, Japan, or America. China’s BYD, through its YangWang brand, has stunned the automotive world with its U9 Xtreme hypercar, which clocked a staggering 496.22 km/h during a high-speed run in Germany.

Where did the record happen?

The record attempt took place at the ATP Papenburg high-speed oval in Germany, with professional driver Marc Basseng behind the wheel. The onboard footage shows the car accelerating past 450 km/h and 470 km/h before ultimately reaching 496 km/h. Though it appeared capable of breaching the 500 km/h barrier, Basseng was forced to lift off when the car began drifting toward the track’s barrier.

How does it compare with existing records?

While the YangWang U9 Xtreme’s achievement is historic, it comes with an important caveat: the run was conducted in a single direction. That means the official two-way average record, held by SSC’s Tuatara at 455.3 km/h, still stands. Nevertheless, the Chinese hypercar has surpassed the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+’s one-way run of 490.48 km/h set in 2019 by Andy Wallace.

What powers the U9 Xtreme?

The key to the U9 Xtreme’s blistering speed lies in its extraordinary powertrain. It is equipped with four electric motors that together produce 2,978 bhp, over twice the output of the standard U9. The hypercar also debuts a 1,200-volt platform, the first of its kind in a production car, and utilises significantly denser batteries than any other BYD model.

How exclusive will it be?

Production is expected to be extremely limited, with only 30 units planned. Pricing details remain undisclosed, but given the car’s performance credentials and record-setting status, demand is unlikely to be an issue for BYD.

Is it just about straight-line speed?

The U9 Xtreme is proving itself in more ways than one. Alongside its top speed run, BYD confirmed that the car has also set a lap record for an EV production car at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. It posted a time of 6:59.157, beating the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra’s 7:04.957 lap earlier this year.

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