Chinese automaker BYD continues to push the limits of electric performance. After overtaking Tesla in global EV sales, the company’s luxury sub-brand Yangwang is now making headlines on the racetrack. Its flagship hypercar, the U9 Extreme, has set a blistering lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, better known as the “Green Hell.”
From World’s Fastest Car to Nürburgring Champion
Back in September, the U9 Extreme stunned the automotive world by hitting a top speed of 496 km/h on a German test track — beating the legendary Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ by nearly 6 km/h to become the fastest production car in the world.
Now, the four-motor, 2,220 kW (nearly 3,000 hp) hypercar has added another trophy to its cabinet. Driven by German racer Moritz Kranz, the car clocked a lap time of 6:59.157 minutes at the Nürburgring, making it the fastest production EV ever on the Nordschleife.
Crushing the Competition
This record smashed the previous benchmark set earlier this year by Xiaomi’s SU7 Ultra, which managed 7:04.957 minutes. While Xiaomi had briefly dethroned the Rimac Nevera, BYD’s U9 Extreme has now reclaimed the crown for China, going more than five seconds faster.
Although a prototype of the SU7 Ultra lapped in an eye-watering 6:22 minutes, it wasn’t a street-legal production car and therefore doesn’t count in the same category.
Company Reaction
BYD’s vice president and European head, Stella Li, called the achievement a reflection of the brand’s ambition:
“We are dedicated to pushing the limits of what technology can achieve, and the Nürburgring is such a legendary challenge… The limited-edition U9 Extreme has proven that it’s not only the world’s fastest car in a straight line, but also a dynamic machine capable of conquering the toughest circuits.”
The Tech Behind the Record
Only 30 units of the Yangwang U9 Extreme will be built, each priced at 1.68 million yuan (around €200,000). The car is a showcase of cutting-edge engineering:
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1,200-volt electrical architecture (vs 800V in most modern EVs)
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Signature LFP blade battery with a discharge rate of 30C — around 10x higher than everyday EVs
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Electric motors spinning up to 30,000 rpm
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Adaptive DiSus-X suspension, specially tuned for the Nürburgring run
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Nearly 2.5 tonnes in weight, running on semi-slick tires
