The world of hypercars has a new benchmark, and it comes from an unexpected direction. The YANGWANG U9 Xtreme, an ultra-performance electric hypercar from BYDโs luxury sub-brand, has claimed the “Moment of the Year” title in the 2026 TopGear.com Awards after shattering the production-car speed record with a staggering 308.4mph run. The history-making pass took place at Germanyโs ATP Papenburg test track in September, with renowned speed specialist Marc Basseng behind the wheel. The achievement didnโt just eclipse every internal-combustion rivalโit also arrived just days after the U9 Xtreme set a new EV top-speed record of 304.1mph. Together, the back-to-back feats sent shockwaves across the automotive world.
Top Gear Editor-in-Chief Jack Rix hailed the moment as a seismic shift: “The U9 Xtreme makes everything with a combustion engine look a bitโฆ weak. And it delivered a mic drop moment in Germany, hitting 308mph and sending shockwaves around the automotive world. Weโve got a feeling beating Bugatti at its own game is just the beginning.”
BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li echoed that sentiment, calling the award an honor and a validation of the brandโs technological ambition. “This achievement reflects the unique technology and engineering excellence behind YANGWANG,โ she said. โEvery breakthrough is the result of the relentless pursuit of perfection by our more than 120,000 BYD R&D engineers.”
As a machine, the U9 Xtreme is more than a high-speed anomaly; itโs a rolling showcase of aggressive innovation. Building on the standard U9, the Xtreme variant features a heavily revised electric powertrain, a jump from 800V to a 1,200V architecture, and four ultra-high-speed motors spinning up to 30,000rpm. Its LFP Blade Battery boasts an extraordinary 30C discharge rate, supporting a system output of over 3,000hp and delivering a record-breaking 1,217hp per tonne.
For the Papenburg run, engineers fine-tuned the carโs DiSus-X active suspension to withstand the violent forces of extreme-speed driving, pairing it with track-focused semi-slick tyres. Basseng, long respected for his endurance and GT racing credentials, pushed the car to its limits once againโjust as he had during development, where he lapped the Nรผrburgring Nordschleife in 6:59.157, becoming the first electric super sports car to break the seven-minute barrier.
Despite its world-beating numbers, the U9 Xtreme is no one-off prototype. YANGWANG insists it is a true production model, albeit one restricted to no more than 30 examples worldwide. In a landscape long dominated by European hypercar giants, the U9 Xtremeโs explosive arrival marks a new era. With record after record falling, one thing is clear: the electric-performance revolution has officially gone into overdrive.
