BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme breaks 500km/h production-car record

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Nov, 02:56 · Archive

BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme has set a world record top speed of 503.17km/h, becoming the first production car to exceed 500km/h.

BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme set a world record top speed of 503.17km/h on 1 November 2026, becoming the first production car to exceed 500km/h. The FIA-recognised speed was achieved on a closed 10-kilometre section of road in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra Region. The result secured two Guinness World Records: the highest speed achieved by a production car and by an electric production car, both in a single-direction run.

The Chinese electric hypercar surpassed its own previous record of 496.22km/h, set in Germany in 2025. German racer Marc Basseng drove on both occasions. Two initial attempts on 31 October saw the car reach 490km/h before engineers made adjustments to aerodynamics, suspension settings and tyre pressures.

The new record widens the gap to the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, which achieved 490.484km/h in 2019. The Bugatti remains the fastest internal combustion-engined road car on a single-direction run basis. The American SSC Tuatara holds the two-way production-car speed record with an average of 455.3km/h set in 2021.

BYD executive vice-president Stella Li said the team were already looking at how to improve the car further after achieving the 496.22km/h record in Germany.

How it is being reported

• BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme breaks production-car record with 503km/h top speedAlready the world's fastest production car, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme is now the first to exceed 500km/h.The West Australian · 9 Nov, 02:28
• BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme breaks production-car record with 503km/h top speedAlready the world's fastest production car, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme is now the first to exceed 500km/h.Perth Now · 9 Nov, 02:28

In this story: BYD · Yangwang · Marc Basseng · Abu Dhabi · Bugatti · Stella Li

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