Lat year, BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme eclipsed the top speed of the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ when the Chinese supercar hit 308.4 mph (496.22 kph) at the ATP high-speed test track in Papenburg, Germany. But BYD wasn't satisfied. During that run, telemetry data showed the driver had enough space to keep the throttle pinned for an extra 1.5 seconds, which may have been enough to squeeze a little extra speed from the Yangwang U9 .
๐ The Core Development
BYD is now preparing for another speed run in the UAE later this month with the hopes of topping 311 mph (500 km/h), and a recently released behind-the-scenes video shows what kind of danger lurks during the preparation for such a feat. Footage shared to social media by BYD shows one of the EV test cars losing control at an undisclosed speed and hitting the track's guardrail. The force of the impacts ripped the U9 Xtreme to shreds, leaving little left but the carbon fiber monocoque. Fortunately, the driver escaped without any major injuries.
๐ Background & Sector Context
It's not clear when this incident occurred, and it may have even been before last year's 308.4-mph top speed run in Germany. Regardless, it appears the Chinese brand used the accident as a valuable lesson in how best to set up the car for such speeds, but it wasn't the only problem the team needed to overcome. During testing in China, BYD's engineers were optimizing the U9 Xtreme for high-speed driving when they ran into issues once the car exceeded 253 mph (400 km/h). At these speeds, the car experienced a wobble, which obviously isn't ideal. BYD traced this issue back to some of the test equipment placed on the vehicles, forcing it to remove them before continuing the tests.
๐ Industry & Real-World Impact
Industry insights from Carscoops indicate significant structural shifts underway across the viral drives & concepts landscape.
Benchmark Telemetry & EV Fuel Savings
Put top supercars and EVs to the test in The Pit Stop Lab โ launch head-to-head 1/4-mile drag strip battles & compute EPA electric fuel cost savings.
โก Prefer Visual Stories on Mobile?
Experience this news piece in an interactive 5-slide visual format crafted for mobile devices & Google Discover.
๐ฎ Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
Follow-up milestones over the coming days will clarify long-term impacts as reported by Carscoops correspondents.
