The year is 2019. The Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+ has just hit 304.772 mph (490.484 km/h) on a test track in Germany. The world looks on in awe and disbelief, wondering if there will ever be a proper production car that could break this feat.
It took six long years for a worthy contender to not just step up but snatch that feat from Bugatti like it was nothing … in the form of an electric car, no less! Well, say hello to the world’s fastest production car, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme.
The special edition based on the stock Yangwang U9 achieved a top speed of 308.4 mph (496.22 km/h) on September 14th at the Automotive Testing Papenburg test track in Germany. That’s almost 4 mph quicker than the Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+.
Yangwang
It was only last month that BYD revealed it had set a new electric vehicle (EV) top speed record of 293.5 mph (472.41 km/h) with the Yangwang U9 Track Edition. Clearly, it wasn’t resting on its laurels.
The U9 Xtreme uses a 1,200-volt system architecture to provide four electric motors with over 3,000 horsepower. In doing so, it becomes the first EV to utilize this electrical architecture.
Three thousand horsepower makes it twice as powerful as the Bugatti Chiron, and over 1,000 hp more powerful than the likes of the Lotus Evija and Rimac Nevera R, which, by the way, held the previous record for the fastest EV – at 268 mph (431.45 km/h).
So, not only is the Yangwang U9 Xtreme the world’s fastest car, it also now holds the record for the world’s fastest EV. Keep in mind, the stock U9, which is currently available for purchase in China for RMB 1.68 million (around US$236,120), produces only 1,300 horsepower, and can go as fast as 233 mph (375 km/h).
Yangwang
Are two records not enough? How about becoming the fastest EV production car to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife? That title was snatched from the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, which recorded a time of 7:04.957. The U9 Xtreme broke that record comfortably by close to 6 minutes with a lap time of 6:59.157!
It’s clear that Yangwang has put monstrous work into this limited edition. So what does it get over the other trims?
The U9 Xtreme edition gets denser batteries that can discharge at an ultra-high rate of 30 ºC (86 ºF). There’s also the use of aviation-grade aluminum alloy on the front and rear suspension arms to work with the optimized suspension geometry. Also added are titanium alloy brake calipers because why not?
Plus, Yangwang has given the dampers a wider bandwidth while tweaking the suspension hardpoint structures to accommodate larger tires. Speaking of which, the Xtreme gets custom tires that are meant to take the abuse of speeds in excess of 310 mph (500 km/h).
Yangwang
On the aero front, it gets a fixed rear wing, upgraded air intakes, longer side skirts for better air channeling, a wider rear diffuser for enhanced ground effect aerodynamics, and increased usage of carbon fiber all around.
It’s clear that the special edition was created solely for the purpose of setting the records that it did. “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,” explains German GT racing driver Marc Basseng, who sat in the hot seat of the Chinese EV on its record-setting run.
Speaking of which, just have a look at what it was like inside the car during the run. Keep in mind that it always feels slower in there …
YANGWANG U9 Xtreme Top Speed Full Run – VBOX
I still remember when it broke out as a jumping, leaping, rotating hypercar. We knew it was bonkers then. Good to know it’s become only more bonkers now. All because it can.
Yangwang says it intends to sell only 30 units of the Xtreme U9. For the lucky few who eventually end up owning one, good luck with tire maintenance. To the Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+, thank you, next.
Source: BYD
