In a shakeup of the hypercar world, China’s BYD, via its luxury sub-brand Yangwang, has crushed Bugatti’s long-standing top speed record. The Yangwang U9 Xtreme rocketed to 308.4 mph (496.22 km/h) at Germany’s ATP Papenburg test facility, eclipsing the 2019 mark set by the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+.
Behind the wheel was seasoned racer Marc Basseng, steering the U9 Xtreme on a one-way blitz that pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with electrified hypercars.
How It Was Achieved
This feat wasn’t just luck or hype; BYD pushed serious engineering. The U9 Xtreme is powered by four electric motors delivering a combined output near 2,978 horsepower! It is also the first production car to employ a 1,200-volt electrical architecture, a leap beyond the standard 800 V systems.
Other modifications include semi-slick tires, narrow front track geometry, and refined aero to maintain stability at such blistering speeds.
That said, there’s a catch: the run was only in one direction. For a record to be fully official, cars usually have to make two runs in opposite directions and then average the speeds. Bugatti’s 304.77 mph run was also one-way, while the SSC Tuatara still holds the two-way average record at about 282.9 mph (455.3 km/h).
What It Means
If nothing else, the U9 Xtreme’s run signals that the electric age has arrived in hypercar performance, not just eco-cars. A Chinese EV has outpaced one of Europe’s most storied legends. BYD is limiting production to just 30 units, making this record even more exclusive.
In the past, hypercars were the domain of combustion titans like Ferrari, McLaren, Bugatti, Koenigsegg. But now, an electric powerhouse has planted its flag at the top. The U9 Xtreme might just be the herald of a new era, where torque, battery innovation, and aerodynamic wizardry define what “fast” really means.
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