BYD’s luxury sub-brand, Yangwang, has made history with its U9 Xtreme hypercar achieving a verified top speed of 496.2 km/h (308.3 mph) to become the fastest production car in the world. This groundbreaking record was set at Germany’s ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg proving grounds on September 14, 2025.
Surpassing the Bugatti Chiron’s previous benchmark of 304.77 mph (490 km/h), the U9 Xtreme now holds the title of the fastest production car of any kind, dethroning the long-time speed king with zero emissions. This achievement comes shortly after the car reached a speed of 472.41 km/h (294 mph), making it the world’s fastest production EV.
Originally introduced as the U9 Track Edition, the model has evolved into the U9 Xtreme in its final production form, expanding upon the Yangwang U9 unveiled by BYD in February 2024. The hypercar features a 1,200-volt platform, a new lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade battery capable of 30C discharge rates with dual-layer cooling, and a total output of 2,978 hp from four motors. Each motor can spin up to 30,000 rpm, thanks to ultra-thin 0.1mm silicon steel, resulting in extreme performance, improved thermal management, and fast charging speeds of up to 500 kW.
BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li expressed immense pride in the achievement, stating, “YANGWANG is a brand that does not recognize the impossible, and only through this commitment to what’s coming next can you end up with a vehicle like the U9X.” The record-setting run was executed by German track specialist Marc Basseng, who emphasized the exceptional performance of the U9 Xtreme, made possible by its electric motor.
The U9 Xtreme will have a limited production run of just 30 units, solidifying its status not only as the fastest but also one of the rarest hypercars in the world. Yangwang aims to redefine sustainable performance vehicles with the U9X, blending cutting-edge engineering with zero-emission speed records.