BYD Yangwang U9 Sets New Top Speed Record At 312 MPH (503 KPH), Goes Full Throttle Only At 236 MPH
For years, 500 km/h (311 mph) was the number every hypercar maker wanted in the record books. By 2024, the bosses of Rimac, Koenigsegg, and Hennessey believed their cars had the speed, but they were effectively stuck waiting on a tire that could survive it.
While they joked about waiting for Michelin, BYD basically said ‘Hold my Tsingtao.‘ and went to work with a different tire company.
Rimac, Koenigsegg, And Hennessey All Stopped Short Of 500 KPH
Bugatti came closest in 2019, when the Chiron Super Sport 300+ hit 304.8 mph on a one-way run.
Mate Rimac told Top Gear in November 2024 that 500 km/h was the big number that needed to fall, and he believed all three companies’ cars could do it. Christian von Koenigsegg said the aero and powertrain were ready, but a safe attempt depended on having the right tire.
John Hennessey believed Michelin’s Cup 2R tires could handle the speed, so his bigger worry was the venue. Runways are too short, and he called highways dangerous because they’re narrow, and an animal could wander out at 280 mph.
The U9 Xtreme Stayed Partial Throttle Until 236 MPH
The U9 Xtreme, BYD’s track-focused Yangwang hypercar, broke through on November 1. Marc Basseng drove it to 312.65 mph (503.17 km/h) on a one-way run along Abu Dhabi’s E11 highway, and the FIA recognized the speed.
The onboard footage shows Basseng holding around 50-60% throttle until 236 mph, and only then going flat. From there, the car’s four electric motors and 1,200-volt platform had nearly 3,000 hp to work with.
BYD also picked the kind of venue Hennessey had warned about, a public highway. Authorities closed 6.2 miles of road, including a 4.3-mile straight, and crews removed stray wire fragments that could have damaged the tires.
The first day topped out at 304 mph, so engineers worked overnight on battery and motor temperatures, rear-wing angle, rebound damping, and tire pressures. The record came on the second of two runs the next day. A U9 Xtreme had also crashed when it hit a guardrail at a reported 224 mph in an earlier test, and the driver walked away.
BYD Beat 500 KPH, But Only In One Direction
Giti developed the semi-slick tires with Yangwang, and its prototypes reached 311 mph in indoor testing by June 2025. The tires use aramid-fiber reinforcement, while knurling at the rim limits slip between the tire and wheel.
Koenigsegg had said a record-only tire is less exciting because customers can’t buy the full package. It isn’t clear yet whether buyers of the 30 planned cars will get these tires or match this top speed, though some are already moving into contract signing.
The two Guinness car records only cover a single-direction run. Yangwang declined to set a two-way average, so the SSC Tuatara’s 282.9 mph two-way record still stands. The question now is whether Bugatti or Koenigsegg will answer with a two-way 500 km/h run.
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