308.4 mph! - This is the world’s fastest production car
Still only in its infancy as a brand, Yangwang is breaking records and making waves as a result.
The ‘luxury sub-brand’ of Chinese automotive company BYD now has the world’s fastest production car after its U9 Extreme hit 308.4 mph at the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg test track in Germany. It knocks the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ off its perch, which held the record after managing 304.8mph in 2019.
The record also comes just a month after it was revealed that the Yangwang U9 Track Edition had set a new global top speed record for an EV, with German driver Marc Basseng once again behind the wheel.
Frighteningly quick numbers
The Yangwang U9 Xtreme (or U9X for short) uses the U9 currently on sale in China and takes it up a considerable notch. This means swapping the U9’s existing 800V ultra high voltage platform for a more powerful 1200V one, the first time this has been used on a production car. It also boasts an output of 2,978bhp from four electric motors that operate at up to 30,000rpm, over double the figure of 1,288bhp that the U9 can produce.
Add in BYD’s lithium iron phosphate Blade Battery, which allows discharge rates of 30 degrees Celsius, stick on some track-level semi-slick tyres and tune the suspension to cope with circuit driving, and you have all the ingredients of a record breaker.
Will we see a Yangwang U9 Xtreme on the road?
Well, the good news is…yes. The U9 Xtreme is being made available to customers around the world. The bad news is that only 30 units will be made.
BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li said, “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.”
Which record will Yangwang break next?
words: Mike Booth
pictures: BYD UK