Chinese automaker BYD, known for its affordable electric vehicles, has unveiled a hypercar that breaks all stereotypes. The YangWang U9 Xtreme model has become the most expensive car in the company’s history and has already found its first buyers.
Record Price and First Orders
Li Yunfei, head of branding and PR at BYD Group, reported on social media that several orders for the U9 Xtreme were placed at the Beijing Auto Show. The price of one such car exceeds 20 million yuan, which at the current exchange rate is approximately $2.92 million USD.
This is more in line with hypercars from Koenigsegg or Bugatti than what we are used to expecting from BYD. The cost of the new model is more than ten times the price of the “regular” YangWang U9, which is available from 1.8 million yuan ($263,000).
Among those who ordered the U9 Xtreme in Beijing was Australian businessman Nick Politis, whose wealth is estimated at over 4.5 billion Australian dollars ($3.2 billion USD). His car will be the only one sold in Australia and is expected to arrive early next year.
Technical Specifications and Performance
For this money, buyers get not only exclusivity (only 30 units will be produced) but also incredible technical specifications. The car is equipped with four electric motors, with a total power output of 2,978 horsepower. This makes it the most powerful production car in history and the first to feature a 1200-volt platform.
All this power allows the U9 Xtreme to accelerate to 308.4 miles per hour (496.22 km/h). This figure was achieved last year, surpassing the top speed of the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ and the official average speed record of the SSC Tuatara (282.9 mph). It is not yet known whether production cars will be able to reach such speeds or if they will be software-limited.
Track Capabilities
Despite its significant weight, the U9 Xtreme demonstrates excellent results on the track. It completed the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6:57.147, outpacing the Rimac Nevera and the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra. However, it falls behind the 500-horsepower Porsche 911 GT3 RS and is nearly 20 seconds slower than the new Ford Mustang GTD Competition.
Thus, BYD is taking a bold step into the hypercar segment, challenging established market players. The U9 Xtreme becomes not just a technological achievement but also a symbol of the new ambitions of the Chinese auto industry, which is now ready to compete in the most expensive and exclusive segment. Whether the company can establish itself in this niche, time will tell, but the first steps look very confident.