China's electric carmaker BYD has achieved a major milestone, with its Yangwang U9 Xtreme hypercar crossing the 500 kmph barrier to set a new production-car speed benchmark.
The car clocked 503.17 kmph during a high-speed test in Abu Dhabi, an achievement officially recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) on November 6.
According to the FIA, the record-setting attempt took place on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road (E11) in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region. A 10-kilometre stretch of the highway was closed with the cooperation of local authorities, with a seven-kilometre straight section used for the high-speed runs. German racing driver Marc Basseng was behind the wheel of the Yangwang U9 Xtreme during the attempt.
To achieve the speed, engineers adjusted the rear wing angle to increase downforce over the rear axle and modified the suspension software to improve rebound damping over uneven road surfaces.
Tyre pressures were also fine-tuned to maintain stability at extreme speeds. The team further optimised battery and motor temperatures to ensure the car operated under ideal conditions during the final attempt.
The Yangwang…