The Yangwang U9 Xtreme Just Became the First Car to Reach 500 KPH

Somehow, we may have all underestimated the world’s fastest production car.

The Yangwang U9 Xtreme, which has owned that title since last year, is even faster than previously thought. The electric supercar recently topped 312 mph on a public road in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, setting two Guinness World Records in the process.

The new record was set on Sunday, Nov. 1, on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road in the Al Dhafra region. On that day, a U9 Xtreme driven by Marc Basseng reached a top speed of 503.17 kmh, or 312.66 mph. That makes the supercar the first production vehicle to top 500 kmh and thus the world’s fastest car as far as Guinness World Records is concerned (Yangwang’s parent company, BYD, also notes that it is the fastest production EV, but we don’t think that qualifier needs to be mentioned any longer). The boundary-breaking speed has also been recognized by Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, or the F.I.A., the governing body that oversees world motorsports.

In setting the new mark, the U9 Xtreme broke a record it set a little over 13 months prior. In September of last year, the EV, again driven by Basseng, became the world’s fastest car for the first time when it reached 308.34 mph at ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg in Germany. As impressive as that feat may have been, BYD wasn’t satisfied. It wanted to prove the sleek two-door could go even faster and do so away from the controlled environment that is a race track. That’s why the latest mark was set on a public road, though it should be noted that a 6.21-stretch of the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road was closed and fastidiously cleaned and prepared for the record attempt.

The U9 Xtreme’s hold on the world’s fastest car title should come as little surprise at this point. In a press release announcing the achievement, Stella Li, BYD’s executive vice president is quoted as saying, “I always tell people that our engineers are young, bold and maybe a little crazy—but in a good way!” It’s hard to disagree.

The EV is powered by a quad-motor powertrain—with one of the potent e-motors positioned at each wheel—that combines to pump out a stunning 2,978 hp and 2,478 ft lbs of torque. Only 30 examples will be built, with pricing beginning at $2.76 million. Unfortunately, you’ll have to travel to China to secure the vehicle, as it (like every other EV from a Chinese automaker) is currently unavailable for purchase or import to the U.S.

Click here for more photos of the record-setting Yangwang U9 Xtreme.