BYD Shows a Wrecked U9 Xtreme as It Targets 500 km/h in the UAE
BYD has released behind-the-scenes footage in which one of its Yangwang U9 Xtreme test cars loses control and hits a guardrail, leaving little more than the carbon-fibre monocoque intact. The video came out as the brand prepares a run beyond 500 km/h (311 mph) in the United Arab Emirates, Carscoops reported on 3 November.
Key takeaways
- A U9 Xtreme test car crashed at an undisclosed speed; the driver escaped without major injuries.
- The electric hypercar produces 2,220 kW (2,977 hp) from four motors on a 1,200 V system.
- In 2025 it reached 496.22 km/h (308.4 mph) at Papenburg in Germany.
- The new target is more than 500 km/h, with a run planned in the UAE in November.
What the video shows
The clip shows a U9 Xtreme snapping sideways and striking the barrier at high speed. BYD has not said when or where the accident happened, and Carscoops noted it may even predate the 2025 record. The impact destroyed most of the bodywork and running gear, while the monocoque stayed largely whole and the driver walked away without major injuries. BYD did not give the speed at the moment of the crash.
The 2025 record and the new target
The U9 Xtreme is a track-focused version of the Yangwang U9 electric supercar. Its four motors deliver 2,220 kW (3,018 PS), fed by a 1,200 V electrical architecture. In 2025 it hit 496.22 km/h at the ATP high-speed track in Papenburg, beating the 490.48 km/h of the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+. That was a one-way run. Italian magazine Motorbox pointed out that the officially recognised two-way average for production cars, 455.3 km/h, still belongs to the SSC Tuatara, so a two-direction run would be needed to claim it.
BYD executive vice president Stella Li has confirmed the plan to go beyond 500 km/h. The run had been expected back at Papenburg, but the team is now looking at Dubai. Li said the attempt needs a road of about 15 km, and BYD is working with local police to find one. No date has been announced beyond November.
Lessons from testing
Testing in China threw up a stability problem: the car wobbled above 400 km/h. BYD traced it to measuring equipment fitted to the test vehicles and removed it before carrying on. For scale, 500 km/h would be about 12% faster than the 446.97 km/h (277.87 mph) two-way average set by the Koenigsegg Agera RS on a closed Nevada highway in 2017.
What it means for car buyers
The crash footage is a reminder that the 500 km/h club is still a dangerous place, even for a car with a carbon structure strong enough to protect its driver in a heavy impact. For BYD, a verified two-way run would be a powerful marketing tool for its premium Yangwang brand. Until the timing equipment and independent witnesses are in place, treat any 500 km/h claim as a target and nothing more.
See also the SSC Tuatara and the BYD catalogue.
Sources
- Carscoops: 2,977 HP U9 Xtreme destroyed as BYD aims for 311 mph (3 Nov 2026) (accessed 4 Nov 2026)
- Motorbox: BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme record 500 km/h Dubai (early Nov 2026) (accessed 4 Nov 2026)
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