BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme becomes world's fastest production car

BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme is now officially the fastest production car ever built, after reaching 503.17 km/h (312.66 mph) during a record run on a closed highway in Abu Dhabi, making it the first production car in history to exceed 500 km/h.

The record was recognised by both the FIA, motorsport's international governing body, and Guinness World Records, giving the achievement dual official certification. According to multiple reports, onboard footage of the run has been made available, showing the car achieving the speed under controlled conditions on a public road closed for the attempt.

What makes the record particularly notable is that the car broke its own previous benchmark. The U9 Xtreme had already held the top-speed record for a production electric vehicle, set during a run in Germany the previous year, so this Abu Dhabi attempt was an effort to push that figure further rather than to unseat a rival.

For everyday drivers, the record is largely a demonstration of how far electric powertrain technology has progressed. The U9 Xtreme is a low-volume electric hypercar produced under BYD's Yangwang sub-brand, positioned at the extreme end of the market rather than as a mainstream vehicle. Nevertheless, records like this tend to accelerate development across the wider industry, as engineering lessons from extreme performance machines often filter down into more ordinary cars over time.