Germany’s famously winding and treacherous stretch of asphalt, the Nürburgring, didn’t earn its nickname “The Green Hell” for nothing. Achieving a fast lap time here demonstrates not only pure power but also superior engineering. Automakers have always used this track to test their vehicles, and now, the electric car record book boasts a new champion: the Yangwang U9 Xtreme. Here are the details.
7-Minute Barrier Broken for the First Time
BYD’s luxury brand, Yangwang, has achieved the incredible with its new hypercar, the U9 Xtreme. The vehicle lapped the famed 20.8-kilometer Nordschleife in 6 minutes and 59.157 seconds, making it the fastest production electric car to ever lap the track. The U9 not only narrowly beat the previous record, but also surpassed the previous best time (which was its own) by a full five seconds. This achievement also marks the first time an electric vehicle in this class has broken the magical seven-minute barrier.
German endurance racer Moritz Kranz was at the wheel to prove that the car wasn’t just set up for a single fast lap. After the run, Kranz said the new record was “a testament to the development capabilities of BYD and Yangwang.” It wasn’t just a showpiece; it was a demonstration of the car’s advanced chassis tuning and its ability to adapt to the track’s highly loaded corners and steep grades.
This achievement is all the more impressive because it demonstrates that the Yangwang U9 Xtreme isn’t just a one-size-fits-all success. The Nürburgring record came on the heels of another world record set just a month earlier. The Chinese exotic reached a top speed of 496.3 km/h (approximately 308.3 mph) at the ATP Papenburg test track in Germany.
Proving that a car can reach speeds exceeding 483 km/h is one thing; proving it can also excel on the world’s most challenging track is quite another. The U9 Xtreme has now achieved both feats.
The U9 Xtreme is built on BYD’s 1200V e4 platform. This system utilizes four separate electric motors, one at each wheel. This setup provides incredible control, as a computer can simultaneously send the perfect amount of power to each tire. The motors themselves spin at an incredible 30,000 rpm. The combined result of this advanced system is a staggering 3,000 horsepower.
Of course, a Nürburgring record-breaking car isn’t exactly the same as the one you’ll buy at the dealership. The record-breaking U9 Xtreme was modified for this mission:
- It featured a redesigned cooling system to stabilize the powerful electric motors and batteries.
- Special carbon-ceramic brakes were used for maximum stopping power.
- Finally, the car was fitted with custom-made e·GTR2 PRO tires developed by GitiSport exclusively for this record attempt.
BYD Vice President Stella Li described the achievement as “phenomenal,” adding, “The U9 Xtreme has proven that it is not only the fastest car in the world on a flat track, but also capable of setting lap records on the most challenging track.”
