- Top speed of 503.17km/h (312.65mph).
- Previous record was 496.22km/h (308.33mph).
- Four Guinness World Records, FIA recognised.
- Run in Abu Dhabi on 1 November 2026.
- Four motors, over 3000PS combined.
Driving on a closed public road in Abu Dhabi, Marc Basseng took the U9 Xtreme hypercar from BYD’s luxury brand to 503.17km/h (312.65mph) on 1 November 2026. The run, on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road (E11) in the Al Dhafra Region, beat the car’s own mark of 496.22km/h (308.33mph) set at ATP Papenburg in Germany last September, and the FIA has recognised the speed.
Four Guinness World Records went to the 3019PS car and its Giti tyres: Fastest Production Car (including EV and ICE), Fastest Electric Production Car, Fastest EV Tyre in the World and Fastest Road Car Tyre in the World.
How the U9 Xtreme record run unfolded
Authorities closed 10km of road, with a longest straight of seven kilometres. Because of the nearby desert and daily traffic, the surface was swept and then checked metre by metre for stray wire particles from the cleaning brushes.
Two runs on 31 October peaked at 490km/h (304mph). Overnight, engineers refined preparation so battery and motor temperatures were ideal at the start of each run, increased the rear-wing angle for more rear-axle downforce, raised rebound damping for road undulations and adjusted tyre pressures. The second of two passes on 1 November produced the record.
Yangwang U9 Xtreme motors and battery
Each of the four motors spins to 30,000rpm and produces 755PS (555kW), giving over 3000PS combined and a power-to-weight ratio of 1217PS per tonne. The car is the first production model on a 1200V platform, supporting up to 1000A. Its LFP Blade Battery allows 30C discharge rates, can still supply 1800kW at 20% state of charge and recuperates more than 700kW at peak.
Earlier records and driver comments
The standard U9 reached 309km/h (192mph) in January 2024 and 391.94km/h that October. The same specification of U9X that holds the top-speed record also holds the production electric vehicle lap record at the Nordschleife, at 6m 59.157s.
Stella Li, BYD Executive Vice-president, said the speed “moves the benchmark for pure electric power even further ahead.” Basseng noted that “a public road presents a different set of challenges, making precision, stability and confidence in the vehicle more important than ever.”
Supplied by Newspress UK (BYD UK)
This story is based on aggregated news, press release(s) or other sources and was prepared with the help of AI tools, which can make mistakes. Prices, specifications, general information and availability may change, so confirm the details with the manufacturer, other news sources or a dealer.
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