The Yangwang U9 Xtreme has broken the production-car top-speed record, hitting 503.17kph on November 1, 2026, to officially become the first production car to cross the 500kph barrier. According to BYD’s luxury arm, this single-direction run earned the electric hypercar two Guinness World Records – that of the fastest production car and the fastest electric production car.
- Single-direction record set on the second of two runs on November 1, 2026
- Driven by German racing driver Marc Basseng
- U9 Xtreme has a 1,200V architecture with combined 3,019hp and semi-slick tyres
BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme record run
The record was set on a closed-off public road in the UAE’s capital of Abu Dhabi
The man behind the wheel of this official record-setting run was Marc Basseng, who’s an FIA GT1 World Champion and a 24 Hours of Nurburgring winner. Basseng piloted the Yangwang U9 Xtreme on a 10km section of Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road in the Al Dhafra region, where the longest straight was a 7km stretch.
Since this highway sees regular traffic and is situated in close proximity to the desert, Yangwang said it had to be cleaned thoroughly before its electric hypercar could make its high-speed runs. Speaking about the attempt itself, Basseng said, “Unlike a dedicated test track, a public road presents a different set of challenges, making precision, stability and confidence in the vehicle more important than ever.”
During its first two runs on October 31, 2026, the U9 Xtreme managed to achieve a maximum of 490kph. According to the Chinese marque, the team worked on the battery and motor temperatures, the rear-wing angle, suspension software and tyre pressures all through the night. It was on the second of the two runs the next day that the electric hypercar finally crossed the 500kph barrier. The top speed of 503.17kph has not only been recognised by Guinness World Records but also by the governing body of motorsports, the FIA.
With its latest high-speed run, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme beat its own top-speed record of 496.22kph, set in September 2025. That run, which was conducted at Germany’s ATP Papenburg test track, also had Basseng behind the wheel. Furthermore, the U9 Xtreme also holds the fastest Nurburgring Nordschleife lap time for a production EV – at 6 minutes and 59.157 seconds.
BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme specifications
The hypercar’s four electric motors produce a combined 3,019hp
The BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme is equipped with four electric motors. Each individual motor is capable of producing around 755hp and can spin up to 30,000rpm. Together, they put out a combined 3,019hp, as per the brand, which is more than double that of the standard U9’s 1,287hp. This gives the U9 Xtreme a power-to-weight ratio of 1,217hp per tonne.
Compared to the 800V architecture of the standard U9, the Xtreme variant runs on a 1,200V setup. This, according to the brand, was necessitated by the Xtreme’s additional power and thermal-management requirements. BYD's ‘Blade Battery’ tech aside, this hypercar also gets the ‘DiSus-X’ active body control system and track-focused semi-slick tyres co-developed with Giti Tire. Production of the U9 Xtreme is limited to just 30 units worldwide, as per Yangwang.