- Test done on a public road
- Marc Basseng behind the wheel
The BYD YangWang U9 Xtreme previously set itself as the world’s fastest production car (not just the fastest electric production car), at the Papenburg Oval Track in Germany. It also surpassed the Bugatti Chiron SS300+ in its top speed, bypassing the 8.0-litre W16 beast. However, the race coupe hasn’t stood there. It has now crossed the 500kmph mark on E11 or the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road, Abu Dhabi, attaining a top speed of 503.17kmph.
The record came into being on 1 November, 2026, and it also marked two spots in the Guinness Book of World records, both for the fastest production car, as well as the fastest production electric car. The coupe was piloted by the same driver, Marc Basseng, who reached 496.22kmph at ATP Papenburg. The U9 Xtreme’s wing was adjusted for a higher downforce, and a stretch of 10km of the public road was available.
Power generated by the YangWang U9 Xtreme is a jaw-dropping figure. It packs a quad-motor setup, with each motor rated to churn out 744bhp. This combines to generate a total power output of over 2,998bhp. To top it off, BYD pioneers in battery tech, and this means that the high-density LFP battery can discharge quickly, combined with a thermal system designed to handle a 133 per cent higher power output.
