The Yangwang U9 Xtreme, the limited track version of the electric supercar from BYD's luxury brand, reached 503.17 km/h on a closed public road in Abu Dhabi on 1 November 2026. BYD says no production car has gone faster and that the run earned four Guinness World Records titles and FIA verification. The speed was measured in one direction, and only 30 cars will be built.
Key facts
- Speed: 503.17 km/h (about 312.7 mph) on 1 November 2026, 6.95 km/h above the car's own 496.22 km/h from September 2025.
- Place: a closed 10 km section of the E11 Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region, per BYD.
- Status: BYD reports four Guinness World Records titles and FIA verification; the certificate shown at the event covers a single-direction run.
- Power: 2,220 kW (3,019 PS / 2,977 hp) from four 555 kW motors that spin to 30,000 rpm.
- Hardware: 1,200 V platform, LFP Blade Battery rated for 30C discharge, Giti semi-slick tyres.
- Price: no list price; a BYD executive said in April 2026 that one sold for more than CNY 20 million (~$3.0 million).
The Abu Dhabi Run
According to BYD, the authorities closed 10 km of the E11 for the attempt, with a 7 km straight for the speed run, and the surface was swept and then checked metre by metre for debris. Marc Basseng, the German racing driver who set the 496.22 km/h mark at ATP Papenburg in Germany, was behind the wheel again.
Two runs on 31 October peaked at about 490 km/h. Overnight the team added rear-wing angle, raised rebound damping and changed tyre pressures, and the second pass on 1 November produced 503.17 km/h. Yangwang announced the result on 6 November, and BYD executive vice president Stella Li presented it as a further lead for pure electric power.
What the Record Covers
BYD lists four Guinness World Records titles: fastest production car, fastest electric production car, and two tyre titles for Giti. A certificate photographed at the ceremony describes the highest speed by a production car in a single-direction run, verified by the FIA. As of 6 November 2026 we could not find the titles on the Guinness World Records website, so they rest on BYD's announcement and photos from the event.
The one-way method matters. Production-car speed records were traditionally an average of two runs in opposite directions to cancel out wind and slope. The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ reached 490.484 km/h in 2019 in one direction too, and Yangwang has not published a two-way average for the U9 Xtreme.
Performance & Specs
Each of the four motors makes 555 kW (755 PS / 744 hp), for 2,220 kW in total. BYD quotes 1,217 PS per tonne, and the e4 platform adjusts torque at each wheel more than 100 times per second. Yangwang has not published torque or a 0-100 km/h time for the Xtreme.
For scale, the standard U9 uses four 240 kW motors for 960 kW (1,287 hp) on an 800 V system. A U9 Track Edition test car reached 472.41 km/h at ATP Papenburg in August 2025, a few weeks before the Xtreme's 496.22 km/h run there. The Xtreme also holds a 6:59.157 lap of the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
| Powertrain | Quad-motor BEV |
|---|---|
| Power | 2,220 kW (2,977 hp) |
| Motors | 4 × 555 kW, up to 30,000 rpm |
| Voltage | 1,200 V |
| Top speed | 503.17 km/h (one-way) |
| Nordschleife | 6:59.157 |
| POWERTRAIN TYPE | BEV, four motors |
|---|---|
| HORSEPOWER | 2,977 hp (2,220 kW / 3,019 PS) |
| TOP SPEED | 503.17 km/h (one-way, 1 November 2026) |
| DRIVETRAIN | AWD |
| BATTERY | LFP Blade Battery (capacity not published) |
Dimensions & Practicality
| Length | 4,966 mm (standard U9) |
|---|---|
| Width | 2,029 mm (standard U9) |
| Height | 1,295 mm (standard U9) |
| Wheelbase | 2,900 mm (standard U9) |
Yangwang has not published separate dimensions for the Xtreme, so the figures above are for the standard U9 two-seat coupe. The Xtreme adds a large carbon splitter, a rear diffuser and a tall rear wing, and practicality is not part of the brief.
| LENGTH | 4,966 mm (standard U9) |
|---|---|
| WIDTH | 2,029 mm (standard U9) |
| HEIGHT | 1,295 mm (standard U9) |
| WHEELBASE | 2,900 mm (standard U9) |
| SEATS | 2 |
Charging & Battery
The Xtreme uses a track-grade version of BYD's LFP Blade Battery rated for 30C discharge. BYD says it still delivers 1,800 kW at 20% charge and recovers more than 700 kW under braking. Battery capacity, range and charging speed have not been published for this version.
| BATTERY | LFP Blade Battery, track grade |
|---|---|
| DISCHARGE RATE | 30C |
| OUTPUT AT 20% CHARGE | 1,800 kW |
| PEAK REGENERATION | Over 700 kW |
| VOLTAGE | 1,200 V |
Design & Interior
The record car ran in a red, black and white "01" livery with an Xtreme placard in place of a front number plate. The scissor doors come from the U9, while the carbon aero parts and the swan-neck wing set the Xtreme apart from the standard car.
Technology & Features
The semi-slick tyres were developed with Giti for speeds above 500 km/h. BYD says the contact area between tyre and rim was changed so the tyre does not slip on the rim under hard acceleration and braking.
Safety & ADAS
Yangwang has not published driver-assistance details for the Xtreme. For the run, BYD says the closed section was swept and inspected for wire fragments left by the cleaning brushes, and the FIA verified the speed.
| ADAS LEVEL | Not published |
|---|---|
| RUN SAFETY | 10 km road closure, debris inspection, FIA verification |
Available Versions
| VERSION | POWER | TOP SPEED | DRIVETRAIN | KEY DIFFERENCES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U9 Xtreme | 2977 hp | 503.17 km/h | AWD | Limited to 30 units, 1,200 V, four 555 kW motors; no list price published |
Pricing & Availability
Yangwang does not list a price for the Xtreme. Li Yunfei, BYD's head of branding and public relations, said in April 2026 that a car sold at the Beijing Auto Show for more than CNY 20 million (~$3.0 million). BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu handed it to Australian businessman Nick Politis at the show.
Production is capped at 30 cars worldwide, and some buyers are already finalising their specifications, according to BYD.
How It Compares
Nothing else in our catalog comes close. BYD's own Denza Z coupe offers 1,582 hp for CNY 680,000 in pre-sale, and the Yangwang U8L SUV pairs 1,180 hp with a CNY 1,280,000 price. At more than CNY 20 million, the U9 Xtreme costs over 15 times the U8L and about 29 times the Denza Z coupe.
- 503.17 km/h, the first production car past 500 km/h, per BYD
- 2,977 hp from four motors that spin to 30,000 rpm
- 1,800 kW still available at 20% charge
- FIA-verified run on a closed public road
- One-way run, no two-way average published
- Only 30 units, at more than CNY 20 million each
- No published battery capacity, range or 0-100 km/h time
- Guinness titles not yet listed on the Guinness website
The U9 Xtreme is a showcase, not a car most buyers will ever see: 30 units at more than CNY 20 million each. What it proves is BYD's 1,200 V, 30,000 rpm hardware, now verified past 500 km/h on a real road. A two-way average would make the record harder to argue with.
