Image: BYD
BYD on Saturday announced that its luxury sub-brand, Yangwang, has made history as its U9 Xtreme, also known as the U9X, achieved a verified top speed of 496.2 km/h (308.3 mph) to become the fastest production car in the world. The record was set at Germany’s ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg proving grounds on September 14, 2025.
BYD’s Yangwang U9 Xtreme hypercar surpasses the Bugatti Chiron’s 304.77 mph (490 km/h) benchmark, dethroning the long-time speed king with zero emissions. The U9X’s achievement comes just weeks after the car hit 472.41 km/h (294 mph) to become the world’s fastest production EV. Now, the U9X is officially the fastest production car of any kind.
Image: BYD
Originally introduced as the U9 Track Edition, the model has evolved into the U9 Xtreme in production form, building upon the Yangwang U9 that BYD unveiled in February 2024.
The record-breaking 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 its four motors, each capable of spinning up to 30,000 rpm thanks to ultra-thin 0.1mm silicon steel. The result is not only extreme performance but also improved thermal management and charging speeds of up to 500 kW.
“This is an incredibly proud moment for everyone in the research and development division. YANGWANG is a brand that does not recognise the impossible, and only through this commitment to what’s coming next can you end up with a vehicle like the U9X. I extend my gratitude to the whole team, and my thanks to the driver, Marc Basseng, for his skill and technical input. It’s terrific that the fastest production car in the world is now electric,” said BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li.
The record-setting run was piloted by German track specialist Marc Basseng, who added: “This record was only possible because the U9 Xtreme simply has incredible performance. Technically, something like this is not possible with a combustion engine. Thanks to the electric motor, the car is quiet, there are no load changes, and that allows me to focus even more on the track.”
The U9 Xtreme will see a limited production run of just 30 units, making it not only the fastest but also one of the rarest hypercars in the world. Yangwang says the U9X redefines what’s possible for sustainable performance vehicles, blending cutting-edge engineering with zero-emission speed records.
