The race for ultimate top speed has a new champion. BYD's luxury sub-brand Yangwang has pushed its all-electric U9 Xtreme hypercar to a staggering 503.17 km/h, a figure certified by the FIA following a record attempt on November 1 in Abu Dhabi. According to the federation, this makes the U9 Xtreme the first production automobile in history to officially exceed the 500 km/h threshold.
The achievement builds on an already impressive run earlier this year, when the car recorded 496.22 km/h at the ATP Papenburg test facility in Germany back in September 2025. For the latest attempt, the team headed to the Middle East, closing off a section of the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road (E11) in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region. Veteran German racing driver Marc Basseng piloted the car for both days of testing.
The record didn't come easily. On October 31, Basseng managed a maximum of 490 km/h — short of the target. The engineering crew spent the night fine-tuning the vehicle's aerodynamic setup, suspension configuration, and tire pressures. Those adjustments paid off during the following day's session, when the speedometers officially stopped at 503.17 km/h. Guinness World Records has additionally recognized the feat as the fastest single-direction speed ever achieved by both a production car and an electric production car.
Top speed isn't the only trophy in the U9 Xtreme's cabinet. The hypercar previously lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6:59.157, becoming the first production EV to break the seven-minute barrier at the legendary German circuit.
Underpinning this performance is a quad-motor electric powertrain delivering a combined output exceeding 3,000 PS, running on an advanced 1,200V electrical architecture. Purpose-built high-speed tires developed in partnership with Giti Tire help translate that power into record-breaking velocity. Exclusivity is guaranteed as well — Yangwang will produce just 30 examples of the U9 Xtreme for customers around the globe.
