Chinese automotive manufacturer BYD's luxury sub-brand Yangwang scripted history on Sunday (Nov 1) when its U9 Xtreme achieved a top speed of 503.17 kmph during a high-speed run in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
By shattering the 500 kmph threshold, it became the first production car to reach the milestone, which was officially recognised by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide.
The latest run also helped BYD secure two Guinness World Records for the highest speed achieved by a production car and an electric production car in a single-direction run.
Behind the wheel was German racing and endurance veteran Marc Basseng. Accelerating down Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road (E11) in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region, a public road, Basseng started off by warming his tyres before steadily increasing the pace en route to smashing the improbable record.
For Sunday's attempt, the company took two days to get the vehicle and conditions right. After cooperating with local authorities, a 10 km section of road, including a seven-kilometre straight, used for high-speed runs was closed.
"Following two initial runs on 31 October, which reached a maximum speed of 490 km/h, engineers made further adjustments to the vehicle's aerodynamics, suspension settings and tyre pressures to improve stability and performance. Two additional runs were completed on 1 November, with the second achieving the final speed of 503.17 km/h," FIA said.
The Shenzhen-headquartered EV maker improved upon its previous record of 496.22 kmph (308.33 mph), set by the same car in Germany in September 2025.
Yangwang U9
Launched in February 2024, Yangwang U9 comes with a 12-cylinder engine and as many as four electric motors. Each of these motors is capable of producing a maximum power of 240 kW, meaning the powertrain offers a combined peak power of 960 kW. Thanks to its high-power engine, the Yangwang U9 can be accelerated from zero to 100 kmph in just 2.36 seconds.
The vehicle also incorporates an active suspension system designed to optimise stability and control at high speeds, alongside battery and thermal-management technology developed to support the demands of high-performance electric driving.
Source: NDTV
--Agencies
