The Yangwang U9 Xtreme has reached 503.17km/h on a closed public road in Abu Dhabi, surpassing its previous 496.22km/h benchmark.

The electric hypercar from BYD’s luxury brand secured two Guinness World Records: the highest speed achieved by a production car in a single-direction run, and the equivalent record for an electric production car.

The speed was also recognised by motorsport’s governing body, the FIA.

Sports-car and endurance racer Marc Basseng completed the run on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road in the Al Dhafra Region on 1 November 2026.

Basseng also drove the U9 Xtreme to its previous benchmark at Germany’s ATP Papenburg proving ground in September 2025.

“This time, we took on an entirely different challenge - pushing the limits of speed on a public road in Abu Dhabi,” Basseng said.

“Unlike a dedicated test track, a public road presents a different set of challenges, making precision, stability and confidence in the vehicle more important than ever.”

The attempt involved two days of running, with 10 kilometres of road available for closure and a seven-kilometre straight for the high-speed passes.

Crews swept the road before inspecting the route for loose wire particles left by cleaning brushes that could damage the car’s Giti tyres.

Two runs on 31 October produced a maximum speed of 490km/h.

Engineers then worked overnight on battery and motor temperature preparation, increased the rear-wing angle for more rear-axle downforce, adjusted suspension rebound damping and fine-tuned tyre pressures.

Two further runs followed on 1 November, with the second reaching 503.17km/h.

Four motors and a 1200V electrical system

The U9 Xtreme uses four electric motors, each rated at 555kW and capable of spinning at up to 30,000rpm.

Its combined output is quoted at 3019PS, compared with 1287PS for the standard U9, while electrical architecture increases from 800V to 1200V.

The quad-motor torque-vectoring system adjusts individual wheel torque more than 100 times per second.

BYD says the Xtreme’s lithium iron phosphate Blade Battery can still supply 1800kW at a 20 per cent state of charge, while peak energy recuperation exceeds 700kW.

Its DiSus-X active suspension independently adjusts each corner of the car, and the semi-slick tyres were developed with Giti.

The latest speed run follows the U9 Xtreme’s production electric-car lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, where it recorded a time of 6 minutes 59.157 seconds.

BYD says that lap was completed with the same vehicle specification used to set the outright top-speed record.

Production of the U9 Xtreme is limited to 30 cars worldwide.

The first example built to production standards, named ‘Dawn Moment’, was unveiled at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show.

Some customers have approved their bespoke specifications and are progressing to contract signing and production scheduling.

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