BYD’s YangWang U9 electric supercar has made headlines with its Nürburgring lap time of 7:17.900 and a top speed of 391.94 km/h (243.54 mph), marking it as the fastest Chinese production car to date. However, while these figures are notable, they do not place the U9 at the forefront of high-performance electric vehicles (EVs), and closer inspection reveals certain limitations.
The 7:17.900 lap time is impressive for an electric vehicle but falls behind other high-performance EVs. For example, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra prototype completed the Nürburgring in a blistering 6:46.874, while the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and the Rimac Nevera recorded lap times of 7:07.55 and 7:05.298, respectively. Although the U9’s time is competitive, it doesn’t rewrite the record books. In fact, BYD’s decision to share onboard footage of the fastest lap suggests that the vehicle may not have been pushed to its full potential. The video showed the car reaching a top speed of 275 km/h (171 mph) on the final long straight, indicating there might have been room for improvement.
On November 7, the YangWang U9 set a new record for Chinese production cars with its top-speed run of 391.94 km/h (243.54 mph) on an oval test track. While impressive, this top speed still trails behind other high-performance electric vehicles such as the Aspark Owl, which reached 438.7 km/h (272.6 mph), and the Rimac Nevera, which achieved 412 km/h (256 mph).
The U9 is powered by four electric motors delivering a combined 1,287 horsepower (1,305 PS) and 1,239 lb-ft (1,680 Nm) of torque. Weighing 2,475 kg (5,456 pounds) and equipped with an 80 kWh battery, it offers a CLTC range of 289 miles (465 km). Despite spending six months testing the vehicle at the Nürburgring with various tire configurations and setups, BYD’s lap time suggests that further refinements could improve its performance.
The official Nürburgring lap time will be added to the track’s records once BYD completes the necessary certification processes. The delay in certification is due to the fact that the production model has not yet been launched in the European market. Meanwhile, in China, the YangWang U9 is already available for order, starting at ¥1.68 million ($233,000).
