Story no.162InternationalOngoingMotorsport +3Serious Several countries (4)31 Oct → 6 Nov10 facts · 192 art.
BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme exceeds 500 km/h despite crash
BYD conducted a speed record attempt in the United Arab Emirates with its Yangwang U9 Xtreme, an electric hypercar priced at around $3 million, after a crash in China during a 400 km/h test from which the driver emerged unharmed. The brand says it has broken the 500 km/h barrier and beaten its own record for the fastest production car. Xiaomi Auto praised the performance after its own record of 496.22 km/h, while its revised SU7 Ultra set a new lap record at the Nürburgring, fueling the comparison between Chinese electric cars. Chinese and Emirati coverage focuses on the crash, the record attempt and the meeting between the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and BYD; in Germany, the debate centers on the scope of these performances against Xiaomi's Nürburgring time, while in France a separate side event concerns the 40th anniversary of the BMW M3 at Epoqu'auto.
In brief
Ongoing story bringing together 10 events involving BYD, Xiaomi Auto and BMW, in 4 countries (Chine, Émirats arabes unis, Allemagne and 1 more), followed from 31 October 2026 to 6 November 2026. 192 articles from 46 sources (motorsport, electric and batteries, launches and reviews and 1 more); last updated on 6 November 2026 at 18:03. Figures reported: 30 vehicles.
National stories
Confirmed(8)
- 29
BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme reached 503.17 km/h during a one-way run in Abu Dhabi.
29 independent sourcesecomento.de, CarScoops, Motorpasión, AutoBuzz.my, 汽车之家 +23
- 13
It becomes the first production car to exceed 500 km/h.
13 independent sourcesCarScoops, largus.fr, Electrek, L'Automobiliste, InsideEVs +8
- 7
The record was recognized by the FIA and Guinness World Records.
7 independent sourcesElectrek, Motor1.com France, Grande Prêmio, automoto.it, alltomelbil.se +2
- 7
The car is a four-motor electric hypercar developing around 3,000 hp.
7 independent sourcesCarScoops, Diariomotor, motor1.uol.com.br, rushlane.com, Luxurylaunches +2
- 6
The test took place on a closed public road in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
6 independent sourcesCarScoops, Electrek, InsideEVs, www.thenationalnews.com, Grande Prêmio +1
- 3
BYD beat its own speed record, set in Germany the previous year.
3 independent sourcesCarScoops, Motor1.com, Electrek
- 3
Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, met BYD's executive vice president and reviewed the record.
3 independent sourcesمكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي, www.wam.ae, Sharjah24
- 2
Its price is around $3 million, or about €2.7 million.
2 independent sourceslargus.fr, Luxurylaunches
Sources disagree(2)
Number of Guinness World Records homologated
- two recordsaccording to automoto.it, Notícias Automotivas
- four recordsaccording to Motor1.com France
Announced power
- 2,959 hpaccording to CarScoops
- 2,977 bhpaccording to rushlane.com, Luxurylaunches
- 3,019 CVaccording to automoto.it
- more than 3,000 CVaccording to Diariomotor, motor1.uol.com.br
Single source so far(2)
- Production is planned for 30 units. (according to largus.fr)
- The 503 km/h record was announced after a crash of the Yangwang U9 Xtreme. (according to Kursiv Media Узбекистан)
Updates(4)
- 6 Nov, 10h13Record broken: 503.17 km/h reached in Abu Dhabi on November 1, 2026, after the announcement of a new attempt.
- 5 Nov, 09h01BYD included the crash footage in a promotional video.
- 5 Nov, 09h01The driver allegedly waited a week before telling his wife.
- 5 Nov, 09h01A media outlet presents the crash video footage as old.
AI cross-check of the headlines and extracts of 60 articles (46 outlets) · “confirmed” = reported by at least two independent outlets, or by the manufacturer’s official press room · 6 Nov, 17h44
Checked on the web(3)
- Confirmed
BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme reached 503.17 km/h during a one-way run in Abu Dhabi.
Sources: fia.com, electrek.co, autonext.co, uol.com.br, autonews.fr
6 Nov, 17h46
- Confirmed
It becomes the first production car to exceed 500 km/h.
Sources: fia.com, electrek.co, autonext.co, uol.com.br, autonews.fr
6 Nov, 17h46
- Confirmed
Production is planned for 30 units.
Sources: fia.com, autonext.co, electrek.co, uol.com.br, autonews.fr
6 Nov, 17h46
Automatic web search, official sources first · “contradicted” only when an official source is cited
Context and reference points, separate from the story's news. Every item links to its source; updated on 6 Nov
Reference points
- The Bugatti Chiron SuperSport 300+ is presented as the world's fastest production car with a top speed of 490 km/h, according to the list of the fastest production cars. Wikipedia
Key terms
- Production car
- The term 'production car' is undefined; in the list of the world's fastest production cars, it applies to vehicles produced in at least thirty units. Wikipedia
- Speed record
- The land speed record concerns the fastest speed reached by any wheeled land vehicle, excluding two-wheelers and guided vehicles; to limit wind interaction, an average speed is calculated from two trips between two fixed points, an outbound and return run within less than one hour of each other. Wikipedia
- Nürburgring
- The Nürburgring is a motorsport circuit located in Nürburg and surrounding villages in the Ahrweiler region of Germany, including the famous North Loop ('Nordschleife') of over 20 kilometers, considered one of the most challenging circuits. Wikipedia
What happens next?
What usually happens in this kind of situation — without prejudging the outcome.
- As a general rule, the FIA defines four competing vehicle categories for speed records, including Category B: series-produced automobiles at the time of the record attempt request. Wikipedia
Timeline
newest firstDot = severity
- 15h26
LatestLe prince héritier d'Abu Dhabi s'entretient avec BYD du record de vitesse
Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed a rencontré le vice-président exécutif de BYD pour revenir sur le record de vitesse mondial établi à Abu Dhabi par la Yangwang U9 Xtreme.
مكتب أبوظبي الإعلاميwww.wam.aeSharjah24
- 14h12
FranceEpoqu'auto 2026 : une exposition célèbre les 40 ans de la BMW M3
Le salon Epoqu'auto de Lyon propose une rétrospective réunissant une vingtaine de BMW M3 de toutes générations, dont des versions de compétition et CSL, pour les 40 ans du modèle.
largus.fr
- 08h01
La Yangwang U9 Xtreme dépasse les 500 km/h et bat son record
L'hypercar électrique Yangwang U9 Xtreme de BYD a officiellement franchi la barre des 500 km/h, battant son propre record de voiture de série la plus rapide du monde.
CaradisiacHíbridos y EléctricosAuto Plus+65 outlets
In figures
Countries concerned
Several countries (4)
Brands concerned
- BYD (Yangwang U9, U9 Xtreme, U9, Yangwang U9 Xtreme)
- Xiaomi Auto (SU7 Ultra)
- BMW (M3)
Key figures
- 30
- véhicules
Amounts cited3 million USD · $3-Million · 3 milioni di dollari · 2,7 Millionen Euro · $3 Million
Highest number recorded in 52 article(s), automatically extracted: please check sources.
Sources by country and language
Press country
| Articles | Outlets | |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 64 | 34 |
| China | 31 | 15 |
| France | 23 | 16 |
| Brazil | 13 | 11 |
| Spain | 12 | 8 |
| Unknown country | 10 | 10 |
| Italy | 7 | 4 |
| Germany | 4 | 3 |
| United Kingdom | 4 | 3 |
| India | 4 | 3 |
| Netherlands | 4 | 2 |
| Australia | 3 | 2 |
| United Arab Emirates | 2 | 2 |
| Switzerland | 2 | 2 |
| Vietnam | 2 | 1 |
| Canada | 1 | 1 |
| Indonesia | 1 | 1 |
| Mexico | 1 | 1 |
| Malaysia | 1 | 1 |
| Sweden | 1 | 1 |
| Ukraine | 1 | 1 |
| South Africa | 1 | 1 |
Languages
| Articles | Outlets | |
|---|---|---|
| English | 87 | 54 |
| French | 25 | 18 |
| Chinese | 25 | 13 |
| Portuguese | 16 | 14 |
| Spanish | 15 | 11 |
| German | 9 | 7 |
| Italian | 7 | 4 |
| Dutch | 4 | 2 |
| Unknown | 3 | 1 |
| Russian | 1 | 1 |
Country of the outlet (not of the topic), inferred from its address and language. Each outlet counts once per row.
Further reading
Organisations cited
Places cited
Go up the thread
Events in the story
- La Yangwang U9 Xtreme dépasse les 500 km/h et bat son record6 Nov
- Le prince héritier d'Abu Dhabi s'entretient avec BYD du record de vitesse6 Nov
- Epoqu'auto 2026 : une exposition célèbre les 40 ans de la BMW M36 Nov
- BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme supercar wrecked in China6 Nov
- BYD releases footage of damaged Yangwang U9 Xtreme in promotional video5 Nov
- La Xiaomi SU7 Ultra restylée signe un nouveau record du tour au Nürburgring5 Nov
- BYD prévoit une nouvelle tentative de record de vitesse malgré un crash à 400 km/h4 Nov
- Records de vitesse des électriques chinoises : U9 Xtreme et SU7 Ultra en débat4 Nov
- BYD targets 500 km/h speed record in Dubai3 Nov
- Xiaomi atteint 496,22 km/h et rend hommage à BYD3 Nov
Marques et groupes concernés
Countries concerned