The electric Yangwang U9 Xtreme has claimed the title as the world’s fastest production car.
Reaching an astonishing top speed of 308.4mph at the Automotive Testing Papenburg (ATP) test facility in Germany, the Yangwang has surpassed both the Hennessey Venom GT and Bugatti Chiron Super Sport.
The outright production car record comes just weeks after the Chinese-made U9 Xtreme officially became the world’s fastest EV.
It all marks a major achievement for the Yangwang brand, which is a new, upmarket division of the globally successful BYD Auto company.
High-voltage engineering
A development of the regular Yangwang U9 electric sports car, the Xtreme receives a suitably extreme boost in performance.
Four electric motors, capable of spinning at up to 30,000rpm, generate an incredible 3,000hp. By comparison, the standard U9 makes do with ‘just’ 1,305hp.
Powering the U9 Xtreme is Yangwang’s Blade Battery, boasting the first use of 1,200V technology to offer an even faster discharge rate.
Other changes for the Xtreme, previously known as the Track/Special Edition, included the fitment of semi-slick tyres and smaller 20-inch wheels – rather than the standard 21-inch rims.
Yangwang’s DiSus-X suspension also gained specific tuning to cope with the demands of high-speed track driving.
For those who want to recreate a high-speed run, Yangwang plans to build a limited run of 30 examples of the U9 Xtreme.
Achieved with electric power
Taking the wheel for the U9 Xtreme’s record-breaking run was Marc Basseng. With extensive motorsport experience, including winning the 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship, the German driver was well suited to the task.
Basseng said: “This record was only possible because the U9 Xtreme simply has incredible performance. 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.”
BYD executive vice president, Stella Li, added: “This is an incredibly proud moment for everyone in the research and development division. Yangwang is a brand that does not recognise the impossible, and only through this commitment to what’s coming next can you end up with a vehicle like the U9X.”
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