Yangwang U9 Xtreme hits 312 mph to claim two Guinness speed records

The Yangwang U9 Xtreme has set two Guinness World Records at once, recording 312 mph on a public road in Abu Dhabi. The car is the flagship hypercar from Yangwang, the luxury division of China's BYD, positioned much as Lexus sits within Toyota.

The records cover the highest single-direction speed for a production car and for a production electric car. In the process the U9 Xtreme surpassed the standard U9's own previous mark of 308 mph, set last year.

Four motors and a 1,200-volt battery

The U9 Xtreme carries four electric motors, one at each wheel, for a combined output of more than 3,000 hp. That is roughly three Bugatti Veyrons' worth of power in a single car.

Its battery architecture differs from the standard U9, running a 1,200-volt system that can both discharge and absorb very large amounts of power with much improved thermal efficiency. Even at around 20 percent charge it can still deliver 1,800 kW (about 2,414 hp), or take on 700 kW through regenerative braking.

A motor at each corner gives the torque-vectoring software wide scope to divide power and limit wheelspin. Electric dampers hold the body flat under hard acceleration and braking, and active aerodynamic elements work to keep the car stable at speed. Giti Tires of Indonesia developed rubber able to withstand the forces involved.

A closed road, cleaned of debris

The record run took place on a 4.35-mile stretch of public road that was closed for the attempt and carefully cleared of debris, including a second pass to check for wires left behind by street sweepers.

That detail matters for anyone picturing a casual top-speed blast: the U9 Xtreme's headline figure was achieved on a prepared, shut-off surface, not in ordinary traffic.

Thirty cars, price still unannounced

Yangwang plans to build only 30 U9 Xtreme models. Pricing has not been announced in the source material, and neither has a full on-sale schedule beyond the production run itself.

What the record does show is the capability of BYD's battery chemistry, and the bragging rights that come with it. Speed records change hands, but for now no production car has gone faster.

Tesla has released multiple onboard angles of the Roadster prototype performing its headline stunt: launching, flipping upside down and landing. The demonstration, which was uncrewed, drew both interest and skepticism, and the new footage lets viewers judge the action for themselves.

The car relies on a cold-gas thruster system to make its leaps. It uses high-pressure nitrogen at up to 10,000 psi, stored in a 200-liter tank that takes between two and six hours to refill. Tesla hopes to cut that to just under half an hour, though where and how owners will refill the tank has yet to be determined.

How the flying Roadster works

The thruster setup packs a considerable amount of potential energy just behind the driver. It is a high-pressure nitrogen system capable of reaching 10,000 psi, and the 200-liter tank currently requires two to six hours to fill. Tesla's target is a refill time of just under 30 minutes, but the refuelling infrastructure question remains open.

The base Performance model does without the cold-gas thruster system. The Thrust variant adds thrusters to the rear to enable sub-two-second 0-60 launches. The Rocket, a single-seat version, is the one that performs the kickflip, and it would likely never be street-legal even if Tesla builds it.

Production plans and prototype status

As it stands, the cold-gas-packing Roadster remains a prototype. Tesla is aiming for a production start date sometime in 2028. The standard Performance model is expected to reach production, but any version that fires nitrogen out the back, bottom or sides will likely remain outside the realm of practicality, possibility and legality.

That matters because the flying stunt is the most extreme expression of the Roadster's design, yet the versions most buyers will actually be able to park in their garage are the ones without thrusters. The theatrics generate attention, but the production reality is more conventional.