China's Yangwang U9 Xtreme smashes Nürburgring EV record

Germany's Nürburgring is a long, twisting, and dangerous ribbon of asphalt known as "The Green Hell." It earned that nickname for a good reason. Setting a fast lap time here means a car has more than just raw power. Automakers have always used the track as the ultimate test for their vehicles, and now, the record book for electric cars has a new champion.

BYD has a luxury brand called Yangwang, and its new hypercar, the U9 Xtreme, just did the unthinkable. It lapped the 13-mile Nordschleife course in 6:59.157, making the U9 Xtreme the fastest production electric car ever to circle the track.

The U9 did not just sneak past the old record, either. It beat the previous best time (its own record) by five full seconds. This is also the first time an EV in its class has broken the magic seven-minute barrier.

To prove the car was tuned for more than just a single fast lap, German endurance racer Moritz Kranz was at the wheel. After the run, Kranz said the new record was a "testament to the development skills of BYD and Yangwang." This was more than just a stunt - it was a showcase of the car's advanced chassis tuning. The U9 Xtreme was built to handle the track's high-load corners and steep hills, not just fly down the straight sections.

This achievement is even more impressive because the Yangwang U9 Xtreme is not a one-trick pony. This Nürburgring record comes just one month after the car set a different world record. At the ATP Papenburg test track, also in Germany, the Chinese exotic car clocked a top speed of 308.4 mph. Proving a car can hit speeds over 300 mph is one thing. Proving it can also take on the world's most difficult track is another. This car has now done both.

The U9 Xtreme is built on BYD's 1,200 V e4 platform. This system uses four separate electric motors, one placed at each wheel. This setup gives the car incredible control, as a computer can send the perfect amount of power to each tire, all at once. The motors themselves spin at an amazing 30,000 rpm. The combined result of this advanced system is 3,000 horsepower.

Of course, a car that sets a Nürburgring record is not exactly the same as one you drive off the lot. The record-setting U9 Xtreme was modified for the task. It has a redesigned cooling system to keep the powerful electric motors and batteries stable. It also used special carbon-ceramic brakes for maximum stopping power. Finally, the car wore custom-made e·GTR2 PRO tires, developed by GitiSport just for this record attempt.

BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li called the achievement "phenomenal." She added that "The U9 Xtreme has proven that it is not only the world's fastest car in a straight line, but also one capable of breaking lap records on the most demanding circuit."

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