China's YangWang U9 Breaks Bugatti's Speed Record but Remains Unofficially the World's Fastest Car | Carscoops
BYD's U9 Xtreme boasts more than twice the power of the regular model, surpassing competitors from SSC, Koenigsegg, and Bugatti.
The YangWang U9 employs four electric motors to generate a total of 2,978 hp.
BYD plans to produce only 30 units of its flagship hypercar globally.
With a top speed of 308.4 mph, the U9 outpaced the Chiron Super Sport 300+.
A new contender has emerged at the pinnacle of production car speed rankings, and it isn’t from Europe, Japan, or America. Instead, it is BYD’s YangWang brand that has captured attention. Shortly after the YangWang U9 Track Edition set a record for electric car top speed, the hypercar rebranded as the U9 Xtreme and achieved an extraordinary feat. During its latest attempt, it reached 308.4 mph (496.22 km/h).
This record was recorded at the ATP Papenburg high-speed oval in Germany with Marc Basseng behind the wheel. However, since the record was only taken in one direction, SSC’s Tuatara still holds the official two-way average title at 282.9 mph (455.3 km/h), for the time being.
Competing Against the Best
Even with that consideration, the figures are impressive. The U9 Xtreme surpassed the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, which Andy Wallace drove to 304.77 mph (490.48 km/h) in 2019, also in a one-direction run. For a Chinese electric vehicle to outperform one of the most celebrated European hypercars marks a significant achievement.
Notable: BYD’s Track-Focused Hypercar Outpaces Rimac as the World’s Fastest EV
The high power output is a key factor contributing to the U9 Xtreme’s incredible top speed. It features four electric motors that together produce 2,978 hp, which is more than double the regular U9's 1,288 hp. It is also the first production vehicle to utilize a 1,200-volt platform and has considerably denser batteries than other BYD models.
The production will be extremely limited, with only 30 units set to be made. Pricing details are not yet available, but it is doubtful that BYD will have difficulty finding buyers for such a high-performance vehicle.
Speed Runs at Papenburg
An onboard video captured the electric hypercar achieving its record top speed. Basseng navigated the banked curve of the oval at over 186 mph (300 km/h) before fully accelerating and gaining speed at an astonishing rate. The car smoothly surpassed 280 mph (450 km/h) and 292 mph (470 km/h), easily reaching 308 mph (496 km/h) without breaking a sweat.
It seems probable that the car could have exceeded 310.6 mph (500 km/h), but Basseng needed to ease off the throttle and brake as the car began to drift towards the left-hand barrier of the track.
A Nurburgring Record as Well
The YangWang U9 Xtreme's achievements don't end with its top speed. BYD has also confirmed it completed a lap of the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 6:59.157, taking the EV production car record from the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, which lapped the circuit in 7:04.957 earlier this year.
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China's YangWang U9 Breaks Bugatti's Speed Record but Remains Unofficially the World's Fastest Car | Carscoops
The BYD U9 Extreme boasts over twice the power of the standard version and outperformed competitors from SSC, Koenigsegg, and Bugatti.