BYD’s U9 Xtreme Breaks Speed Record

BYD’s YANGWANG U9 Xtreme breaks the world speed record with a 496.22 km/h run (image source)

Chinese automaker BYD has officially claimed the title of the world’s fastest production car with its luxury sub-brand YANGWANG’s U9 Xtreme, achieving a top speed of 496.22 km/h at the ATP Papenburg test track in Germany on September 14, 2025.

The all-electric hypercar surpassed the previous production-car record of 490.484 km/h set by the Bugatti Chiron, cementing a new benchmark for zero-emission performance vehicles. The record run was conducted under certified conditions at the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg facility, with professional racer Marc Basseng at the wheel.

BYD confirmed the feat during a global livestream, announcing that the limited-edition U9 Xtreme will be capped at just 30 units worldwide. “This is an incredibly proud moment for everyone in the research and development division,” said BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li. “YANGWANG is a brand that does not recognise the impossible.”

Next-Level Engineering

The U9 Xtreme employs BYD’s Easy Four System: four 555 kW electric motors powered by a track-level blade battery on a 1,200 V silicon-carbide platform. Combined output exceeds 2,220 kW—nearly 3,000 horsepower—giving a power-to-weight ratio of 1,217 hp/ton. Aerodynamic upgrades include a carbon-fibre front splitter, dual-air-channel hood, swan-neck rear wing, and layered rear diffuser, all designed to maximise downforce. Journalists and engineers at ATP described the acceleration as instantaneous, with torque vectoring adjusting power distribution more than 100 times per second.

The car also lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6 minutes 59.157 seconds, becoming the first production EV to break the seven-minute barrier on the Green Hell. “Technically, something like this is not possible with a combustion engine,” said Marc Basseng. “The electric motor’s seamless power delivery lets me focus entirely on the track.”

Setting New Standards

The U9 Xtreme’s bespoke 20-inch semi-slick tyres, co-developed with GitiSport, are rated for speeds up to 500 km/h. Braking is handled by titanium-alloy calipers and carbon-ceramic rotors, while BYD’s DiSus-X active suspension adjusts each wheel’s vertical movement in real time to maintain grip during extreme braking and cornering.

For decades, the production-car speed record was dominated by petrol-powered hypercars such as the Koenigsegg Agera RS and Bugatti Chiron. Rimac’s Nevera EV once topped out at 412 km/h but left the ultimate record to internal-combustion rivals. BYD’s U9 Xtreme rewrites this history by leveraging electric hypercar engineering to surpass traditional performance barriers.

YANGWANG launched its first U9 model in February 2024, featuring four motors and a standard 960 kW output. In August 2025, the U9 Track Edition prototype hit 472.41 km/h before BYD unveiled the production-spec Xtreme variant.

Luxury Meets Performance

Despite its track credentials, the U9 Xtreme retains luxury features: a full-LCD cockpit, Alcantara steering wheel, bucket-style sports seats, and a T-shaped centre console. BYD says the car meets global safety and emissions standards, underscoring its mission to redefine sustainable performance.

Delivery slots for the U9 Xtreme will open in November 2025, with pricing expected to exceed RMB 1.68 million (approx. USD 236,000) before taxes. BYD will seek homologation in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.

As electric hypercars proliferate, the U9 Xtreme’s record-breaking run signals a new era in high-performance mobility — one powered entirely by electrons.