It’s done it again – not content with becoming the world’s fastest production car last year, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme has officially broken the 500 km/h mark earlier this month, setting two new Guinness World Records in the process.
Whereas the previous record was set at the Automotive Testing Papenburg (ATP) oval in Germany, this time BYD’s engineers set off with an improved U9 Xtreme to Abu Dhabi, the same capital city where the über-luxurious Altior sedan was revealed this week.
Officials closed a ten-kilometre stretch of the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road (E11) in Al-Dhafra for the renewed top speed attempt, held over two days. The desert location and the road’s regular public use meant that it had to be swept before each attempt, with further inspection required to ensure stray brush wires didn’t puncture the Giti tyres.
Nürburgring 24 Hours winner Marc Basseng returned to extend his record, making two passes on October 31 and reaching a maximum speed of 490 km/h. Engineers then worked overnight to optimise battery and motor prep, as well as adjusting the rear wing angle to increase downforce, retuning the DiSus-X suspension software to increase rebound damping and tweaking the tyre pressures to improve high-speed stability.
The next day on November 1, Basseng made another two passes, and on his final run duly hit a top speed of 503.17 km/h, nearly 7 km/h higher than his previous of 496.22 km/h. Oddly enough, having initially accelerated hard, the German then dropped to around half throttle until 380 km/h before finally pinning it, suggesting that the 3,019 PS quad-motor supercar was traction limited. It was also wandering in its lane somewhat as it reached its peak velocity.
Nevertheless, the impressive performance was still enough for the U9 Xtreme to clinch the Guinness World Record for the highest speed achieved by a production car in a single-direction run, as well as the highest speed achieved by an electric production car in a single-direction run. The top speed was also recognised by the FIA.
“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,” Basseng said. “Breaking a world record once is extraordinary but doing it again in such a different environment is truly special. At these extreme speeds every detail matters, and none of this would have been possible without the incredible Yangwang engineering team.”
Stella Li, BYD executive vice president, added: “I always tell people our engineers are young, bold and maybe a little crazy – but in a good way! Even as the team celebrated the astonishing 496.22 km/h in Germany last year, they were looking through the data and discussing how to take U9X to its next level. 503.17 km/h is a fantastic achievement, and it moves the benchmark for pure electric power even further ahead of where others might dream.”
Despite the achievement, the attempt wasn’t a “true” land speed record, which generally specifies a two-way average as a requirement. Judged by that metric, the SSC Tuatara would still hold the crown, even though the U9 Xtreme is clearly faster.
That takes nothing away from Yangwang, which also claimed the title of fastest EV around the fearsome Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6 minutes 59.157 seconds back in August 2025. That was, until the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with a Manthey Performance Kit snatched it away in April; it remains to be seen if BYD will head back to the Green Hell to reclaim the title.
The U9 Xtreme is edging closer to production, with the first unit built to customer standards revealed at Auto China earlier this year. That car, named Dawn Moment, was finished in black with micron-scale gold powder and multiple layers of clear coat, as well as matte gold sections using polishing techniques from traditional Chinese lacquer work.
Just 30 of these cars will be offered worldwide, with the first buyers having already approved their specifications and moving to contract signing and production scheduling.
GALLERY: Yangwang U9 Xtreme at Auto China 2026
