BYD’s Yangwang U9 returns to Nürburgring for second speed record attempt in July
Yangwang announced today that its flagship U9 supercar will return to Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife next month for another performance test, aiming to improve its achievements.
Following its performances in 2024, which included setting a Chinese vehicle speed record of 391.94 km/h and achieving a Nürburgring lap time of 7:17.900, the Yangwang U9 will resume overseas performance testing in July 2025. This powerful electric supercar, built on BYD’s e4 platform and Disus-X technology architecture, targets new records in top speed and lap time at the challenging circuit.
The engineering test vehicles have already been shipped to Germany, and the technical team is preparing to follow shortly. They will conduct tests at Germany’s ATP testing facility before tackling the Nürburgring Nordschleife, widely considered the most demanding racing circuit globally.
According to Yangwang officials, the company spent 2024 focusing on track development of key technology modules, accumulating extensive test data that validated the extreme performance capabilities of their proprietary core technologies. This year’s testing program, enhanced by simulation testing based on this rich data repository, aims to fully unlock the performance potential of the e4 and DiSus-X systems.
“This overseas testing program represents not only a validation of Yangwang U9’s technical iterations but also a further demonstration to the world of China’s breakthrough achievements in high-performance automotive development,” a company spokesperson stated.
Unlike some competitors who develop specialised prototype vehicles solely for setting track records, Yangwang has maintained its commitment to production relevance. The U9 that will tackle the Nürburgring is based closely on the production model, with only limited track-focused modifications to hardware and software, all of which meet production standards and have been thoroughly documented.
The U9’s combined power output reaches 960kW (1,287 hp) with a peak torque of 1,680 Nm. The electric motors can reach a maximum of 21,000 RPM, delivering a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 2.36 seconds.
Editor’s comment
This month, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra production version achieved an impressive lap time of 7 minutes, 4.957 seconds at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, making it the fastest production electric vehicle in the track’s history. As China’s electric vehicle speed record holder and with a significantly higher price point than the SU7 Ultra, Yangwang U9 is eager to return to the Nürburgring to reassert its dominance.
