Beating its own record of 496.22kmph, BYD’s Yangwang U9 Xtreme has now crossed the 500kmph mark. The electric hypercar reached 503.17kmph on a closed section of the E11 highway in Abu Dhabi on November 1, 2026. With this run, it became the first production car to cross this speed barrier. The achievement was recognised by the FIA and earned two Guinness World Records.
Racing driver Marc Basseng was behind the wheel. He had also driven the car during its earlier speed run in Germany.
The record attempt
The run took place on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road in Abu Dhabi. Authorities closed a 10km stretch of the highway, which offered a straight section of around 7km for the high-speed run.
The first attempts on October 31 saw the car reach 490kmph. Engineers then made changes before the next run. These included:
- Increasing the rear wing angle to add downforce.
- Revising the suspension rebound settings.
- Adjusting tyre pressure.
- Checking battery and motor temperatures.
The final speed was recorded using a calibrated VBOX system, with the data checked by an FIA official. Guinness recognised the result in two categories: the highest one-way speed by a production car and by an electric production car. This was a one-way record attempt, not a two-way average speed test.
How is the U9 Xtreme different?
The Yangwang U9 Xtreme is a high-performance version of the standard Yangwang U9. While the regular U9 is known for its DiSus-X body control system, which can make the car jump and perform controlled movements, the Xtreme gets major changes to its powertrain, battery system, tyres and aerodynamics.
It uses four independent electric motors, each producing 555kW. Together, they deliver a peak output of around 2,977bhp. Each motor can spin at up to 30,000rpm. The car is built around BYD’s 1,200V e4 platform, while its torque vectoring system can adjust power at each wheel more than 100 times every second.
Battery, suspension and design
The U9 Xtreme gets an 80kWh lithium iron phosphate Blade battery with a 30C discharge rate. Its high-voltage electrical system supplies power to all four motors during demanding runs.
The car also uses BYD’s DiSus-X active suspension, which can generate up to 50kN of vertical force in 120 milliseconds. Giti developed special semi-slick tyres for the record attempt.
Its exterior gets a front splitter, a dual-channel bonnet, a tall swan-neck rear wing and a large rear diffuser. These parts help manage airflow and keep the car stable at high speeds.
Production and other records
The U9 Xtreme has also completed the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6 minutes and 59.157 seconds. BYD will produce only 30 units worldwide. A production-spec example has been displayed, while the company has started work on customer specifications and production schedules.