The First Production Car To Cross 500 km/h - Yangwang U9 Xtreme Blitzes The Desert In Abu Dhabi

The Yangwang U9 Xtreme has hit 503.17 km/h on a public road in Abu Dhabi, becoming the first production car to cross 500 km/h. The extreme electric car was driven by German racing driver Marc Basseng when it hit the record breaking speed on 1 November.

BYD's Yangwang brand set the previous mark of 496.22 km/h at ATP Papenburg's high-speed oval in September 2025, also with Basseng driving. The new run improves on that figure by about 7 km/h.

Four electric motors deliver a combined 2,977bhp to all four wheels in the Yangwang U9 Xtreme. They draw from a 1,200-volt lithium iron phosphate battery pack that can discharge at a 30C rate. The car does 0-100 km/h in 2.36 seconds. It rides on GitiSport e-GTR2 Pro semi-slick tyres, and titanium calipers with carbon-ceramic rotors take care of braking.

Yangwang U9 Xtreme Record Run in Abu Dhabi

The attempt took four runs across two days on the E11 road in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra Region, where a stretch of highway 10km long was closed to traffic. The surface was swept before the record run because of the desert location and regular traffic use. The first two runs, on 31 October, saw the Yangwang U9 Xtreme peak at 490 km/h. Engineers then worked overnight on the Yangwang U9 Xtreme's battery and motor temperatures and tyre pressures.

The rear wing angle was changed for more downforce, and the adaptive damper software got increased rebound damping to cope with road undulations. The 503.17 km/h run came on the last attempt of 1 November and was made official by a Racelogic recorder.

Guinness World Records now lists the Yangwang U9 Xtreme for the highest speed by a production car and by an electric production car in a single-direction run. The FIA has also confirmed the achievement on its website. BYD plans to build only 30 units of the record-breaking electric hypercar.

Official records need a two-way average, and the U9 Xtreme ran one way only. By that standard, the SSC Tuatara remains the fastest production car at 455 km/h. Bugatti's Chiron Super Sport 300+ also ran one way hitting 490 km/h during its record run.