It seems that when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs), the Chinese are breaking records left and right. A couple of months ago, it was the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra with a record-breaking 7:04.957 lap time around the famed Nurburgring race track, beating the German Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and the Croatian Rimac Nevera in the process. Now, another Chinese EV takes the crown for a record-breaking achievement, and it’s the BYD Yangwang U9 Track Edition.
But what the heck is a Yangwang? Well, it’s BYD’s ultra-luxury brand whose prices are more in line with Rolls-Royce and Bentley. The $230,000 U9 is their fully-electric quad-motor hypercar with more than 1,000 horsepower. But that wasn’t enough for BYD it seems. Just recently, they unveiled a U9 Track Edition, whose quad-motor layout has a whopping 3,000 horsepower system output, thus making it one of the world’s most powerful production cars, full stop.
The record-breaking run by the BYD Yangwang U9 Track Edition was conducted at the ATP Automotive Testing track at Papenburg, Germany, achieving a top speed of 472.41 kph. This cemented the BYD Yangwang U9 Track Edition’s position as the world’s fastest EV, once again beating a European–the Rimac Nevera.
The Yangwang U9 Track Edition is built upon the same e4 Platform and DiSus-X core technical architecture as the Yangwang U9 currently on sale in China. On top of this, it features the world’s first mass-produced 1200V ultra-high-voltage vehicle platform, paired with a thermal-management system optimised for extreme conditions. This combination of an existing technical footprint and ground-breaking enhancements elevates the Yangwang U9 Track Edition’s performance to unprecedented levels.
Breaking world records demands both relentless power delivery and exceptional high-speed stability. The Yangwang U9 Track Edition’s e4 Platform—the world’s first quad-motor system to feature 30,000 rpm high-performance motors — delivers peak power of 555 kW per motor, with a combined system output exceeding 3,000 hp. This grants the vehicle an astonishing power-to-weight ratio of 1,217 hp per tonne, placing it among the top tier in the global automotive industry.
The e4 Platform’s quad-motor independent torque-vectoring system continuously monitors road feedback, adjusting each wheel’s torque at an ultra-high frequency that exceeds 100 times per second. Even at high speeds, it maintains absolute control over body posture, ensuring no wheel slip or loss of traction.
The DiSus-X Intelligent Body Control System performs rapid, independent vertical adjustments to the suspension at each corner of the vehicle during aggressive acceleration and cornering, or on uneven surfaces. This not only suppresses pitch and roll — enhancing driver comfort and confidence — but also actively optimises the contact patch between the tyres and the road, maximising grip. Working in synergy with the e4 Platform, it delivers dual guarantees for vehicle stability and driving safety.
Unlike traditional supercars, the Yangwang U9 adopts the innovative “e4 Platform + DiSus-X” technical architecture, introducing “body posture control” to racetrack scenarios and exploring the boundaries of safety and performance for supercars in track environments. Furthermore, the Yangwang U9 Track Edition retains the aerodynamic design of the current Yangwang U9 and is equipped with an enhanced, optional carbon-fiber front splitter that is already in mass production, fully verifying the scientific design and technical reliability of the Yangwang U9 under ultra-high-speed operating conditions.
To enhance tyre performance and durability under extreme driving conditions, BYD’s Yangwang, building on data gleaned during extensive testing and achievements in Germany in 2024, has engaged in a collaboration with Giti Tire to develop a track-focused semi-slick tyre. This high-performance tyre features optimised compound materials and a bespoke tread design, while an innovative knurling treatment at the wheel-rim interface, combined with high-viscosity lubricant, minimises relative slippage between the tyre and the rim during hard acceleration or braking. This reduces torque loss and tyre wear, while improving predictability and stability during dynamic manoeuvres.
The record was set by German professional driver Marc Basseng, who was behind the wheel for the previous global EV speed record in 2024. After completing the high-speed test for Yangwang, he said, “Last year, I thought I’d peaked. I never expected to break my own record so soon — but here we are, at the same track, with new technologies that have made it possible.”
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