New Delhi: Yunwang U9 Xtreme recently set a record for the fastest production car ever, breaking the previous record set by Bugatti Chiron in 2019. The Chiron had held the record at 490 kph, still the quickest a petrol-powered model has set. The BYD’ sub-brand’s U9 Xtreme recently went 496 kph at the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg test track in Germany.

Chiron had achieved the feat in the Ehra-Lessien test track in Lower Saxony, Germany, with Bugatti test driver Andy Wallace pushing the car, a pre-production Chiron Super Sport 300+ prototype. It became the first time a production car had gone past the 300 mph mark, in fact. For Yangwang U9, it was Marc Basseng, a  German track specialist, with experience in sports-car racing and even endurance racing.

Powertrain and figures

Yangwang U9 Xtreme vs Bugatti Chiron numbers

The Yunwang U9 Xtreme was upgraded to 1200V ultra-high-voltage electric, as opposed to 800V. Further, for the track, it got a lithium iron phosphate Blade Battery, which can do an amazing discharge rate of 30C, four ultra-high speed motors that work at 30,000 rpm and produce a 2958 bhp. It was even given a track-level semi-slick tyre.

Chiron went out with a W16 engine, enhanced with four larger turbos that provided a maximum wide range of engine speeds, going from 2,000 to 6,000 rpm. A new titanium exhaust system helped reduce back pressure and contributed to the powertrain’s overall performance. The 8.0-litre engine could produce 1,600 horsepower and 1,600 Nm of torque.

In numbers, it went from 0.100 kph in 2,4 seconds, whereas the U9 Xtreme does the same in 2.36 seconds. The Chiron’s BHP is half of it, too, and many believe that it is mathematically impossible for a petrol-powered car to go beyond that and break the record, but Bugatti knows how to do just that. This time, they might even have a hybrid to answer to that.