The fastest car in the world
It became the first model to exceed the 500 km/h limit as a production car in the trial verified by the FIA in Abu Dhabi.
Quick Look
- Yangwang, the luxury brand of Chinese automobile manufacturer BYD, reached a speed of 503.17 kilometers per hour in Abu Dhabi with its U9 Xtreme model.
- In the trial verified by the FIA, it became the first model to exceed the 500 km/h limit as a mass production car and broke two Guinness World Records.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Yangwang U9 Xtreme is BYD's luxury electric car brand. Speed tests of the model have been continuing since 2024, and its previous record was recorded as 496.22 kilometers per hour at the ATP Papenburg test track in Germany in September 2025.
Yangwang, the luxury electric car brand of Chinese automobile manufacturer BYD, broke a new world speed record with its U9 Xtreme model.
In the trial held on November 1 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the car reached a speed of 503.17 kilometers per hour.
With the result confirmed by the International Automobile Federation (FIA), Yangwang U9 Xtreme became the first production car to exceed the 500 km/h limit in a one-way speed test.
The vehicle also achieved two Guinness World Records.
10 KILOMETERS OF ROAD CLOSED TO TRAFFIC
It was held on a section of the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed International Road in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, which was closed to traffic.
Within the scope of coordination with local authorities, a 10-kilometer section of the road was closed to traffic, while a 7-kilometer straight route was used for the speed test.
German racing driver Marc Basseng was behind the wheel of the vehicle. Basseng, who performed a total of four rides over two days, reached a speed of 490 kilometers per hour in the first two attempts on October 31.
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After the first tests, engineers made changes to the vehicle's aerodynamic structure, suspension settings and tire pressures. In the second drive on November 1, a speed of 503.17 kilometers per hour was reached.
HE LEFT HIS PREVIOUS RECORD BEHIND
Yangwang U9 Xtreme broke its previous record by reaching a speed of 496.22 kilometers per hour at the ATP Papenburg test track in Germany in September 2025.
With the last attempt in Abu Dhabi, the car improved its own record by 6.95 kilometers per hour.
Speed tests of the model have been continuing since 2024. The first Yangwang U9 reached a speed of 309 kilometers per hour in China in January 2024 and 391.94 kilometers per hour in Germany in October of the same year.
U9 Xtreme reached 472.41 kilometers per hour in August 2025.
OVER 3 THOUSAND HORSE POWER
The fully electric Yangwang U9 Xtreme is powered by four independent electric motors. The total power of the engines is over 3 thousand horsepower.
The model uses a 1,200-volt electrical architecture, an advanced torque distribution system that regulates the power transferred to the wheels separately, and special performance tires developed for high speeds.
The vehicle also includes an active suspension system and battery and temperature management technologies to ensure balance and control at high speeds.
Yangwang U9
HE BREAKED TWO WORLD RECORDS
The achievement, approved by Guinness World Records, covers the categories of the highest speed reached by a mass-produced car in a single-direction drive and the highest speed reached by a mass-produced electric car under the same conditions.
BYD, in its post on its official social media account, announced that Yangwang U9 Xtreme reached a speed of 503.17 kilometers per hour and stated that the vehicle holds four Guinness World Records.
The FIA confirmed that two Guinness World Records were achieved at the last attempt in Abu Dhabi.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
BYD may start official sales of the Yangwang U9 Xtreme model.
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- No information was given about the launch date and price of the U9 Xtreme.
- The planned production amount for the vehicle has not been announced.
