BYD’s YANGWANG U9 Xtreme recorded a peak of 503.17 km/h (312.65 mph) in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 1, earning Guinness listings in two production-car categories that measure speed in one direction.
Professional racing driver Marc Basseng drove the car on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra Region, BYD said. The FIA reported that the closed road stretch spanned 10 kilometers and included a straight section measuring seven kilometers. BYD said two runs on Oct. 31 topped out at 490 km/h. Two more were made Nov. 1, with the second reaching the record speed. Basseng described the attempt as “pushing the limits of speed on a public road in Abu Dhabi.” The FIA recognized and verified the speed for the Guinness listings.
Guinness lists the records under the production-car category and the electric-production-car category. Each is based on a single-direction run. The organization treats that peak-speed measure separately from its conventional fastest-production-car benchmark, which is based on runs made in both directions. SSC North America’s records page lists its Tuatara at an average 455.3 km/h in that separate category. The two figures therefore come from different testing formats.
According to the FIA, the Abu Dhabi speed surpassed the U9 Xtreme’s former high of 496.22 km/h, reached in Germany in September 2025. BYD says the vehicle had earlier recorded 472.41 km/h in August 2025, before setting the September mark. Those figures document earlier speed milestones for the same model.
BYD says the car has four independent motors with combined output above 3,000 PS and a 1,200-volt electrical architecture. The company says global production will be limited to 30 units. Some customers have approved custom specifications and are moving toward contract signing and production scheduling, according to BYD.
