As a production car, the YangWang U9 Xtreme hypercar has surpassed the 490.48 km/h one-way record set by the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ in 2019.
Highlights
The BYD YangWang U9 Xtreme reached 496 km/h during the run
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ breaks 490.48 km/h record
The EV is capable of generating a massive power of 2,978 bhp.
When it comes to the world's fastest cars, the names of European giants like Bugatti, Ferrari, or Rimac usually come up. But now the picture has changed. Chinese auto giant BYD has shaken up the automobile industry with its luxury brand YangWang. The company's new YangWang U9 Xtreme production electric hypercar stunned the world by achieving a speed of 496.22 km/h during a high-speed run in Germany.
This record run took place at the ATP Papenburg high-speed oval track in Germany, driven by professional driver Marc Basseng. Onboard footage clearly shows the car exceeding 450 km/h and 470 km/h, before reaching 496 km/h. Interestingly, the car might have even broken the 500 km/h mark, but Basseng had to let up on the accelerator as it drifted towards the track barrier.
As a production car, the Chinese hypercar has surpassed the 490.48 km/h one-way record set by the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ in 2019.
Speaking of its powertrain, the U9 Xtreme is a completely new level of machine. It's powered by four electric motors that together produce a whopping 2,978 bhp, more than double the power of the standard U9. Furthermore, it's the world's first production car to run on a 1,200-volt platform and feature extremely dense batteries.
BYD has made it clear that this hypercar isn't just built for straight-line speed. The company confirmed that the U9 Xtreme also set the lap record for an EV production car on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It clocked 6:59.157 minutes, beating the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra's lap time of 7:04.957 set earlier this year.
Due to its powerful and exclusive nature, its production will be extremely limited. According to the company, only 30 units will be made. The price has not been revealed, but with such speed and records, there will be no shortage of demand.
