Breaking the Global Speed Record: Showcasing Skills Is Not the Purpose of Aspiration

Introduction

Compared to defeating all supercars, the goal of the Yangwang U9 Xtreme is to embed China's automotive identity into the history of the global automotive arena.

In June 2024, when German professional driver Marc Basseng achieved a top speed of 438.7 km/h in the Aspark SP600 prototype, he certainly did not expect that just a year later, on August 25, he would break his own speed record again. This time, however, he would be driving a supercar from China, equipped with a full set of Chinese technology, and directly raising the top speed to 472.41 km/h.

After completing the speed test, he exclaimed, "I thought last year was the peak, but unexpectedly, I broke my own record so soon by driving a Chinese supercar on the same track." He further explained that the track version of the Yangwang U9 has gained an overwhelming advantage in technological superiority over its Western competitors.

Indeed, as the most renowned electric supercar at present, the Yangwang U9 has early on attracted significant attention worldwide, whether by participating in the timed hill climb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK or by receiving widespread applause at various international auto shows with a series of smooth maneuvers.

At present, when Yangwang Auto officially announced that with a new record of 496.22 km/h, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme has replaced fuel-powered cars to top the global car speed rankings, with a global limited release of 30 units.

At the same time, Yangwang Auto also announced the first lap time of the Yangwang U9 Xtreme at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany—6 minutes 59.157 seconds. I would consider this not only tipping the balance of power in the global automotive industry further towards the East but also tearing apart the outdated label that has long pinned China's automotive industry to the "cost-effectiveness" crucifix.

Look Up U9 Xtreme Rise to Fame

Since the entire industry has been rapidly transitioning towards electrification, young people are increasingly looking forward to integrating the internet ecosystem into cars. We have also clearly sensed the smoke of the paradigm revolution in the automotive industry.

In an instant, Chinese automobiles are like untamed wild horses, fueled by a surge of technology, constantly striving to achieve a real overtaking on the bend in an industry that has been held by the West for a century.

In just a decade, despite witnessing numerous chaotic phenomena emerging in the fertile land of China, as time gradually passes, new energy technologies are being mastered step by step by forward-thinking Chinese companies like BYD. We firmly believe that this battle will ultimately see the victory flag handed over to the East, thanks to the wisdom of the Chinese people.

The record-breaking nature of the Yangwang U9 Xtreme is essentially a meticulously crafted technology statement: equipped with the world's first mass-produced full-scope 1200V ultra-high voltage platform, it features four high-performance motors with speeds of up to 30,000 rpm, using high-strength aerospace aluminum housing, high-speed bearings, and top materials like 970 MPa rotors. The vehicle's total power exceeds 3000 Ps, with a power-to-weight ratio reaching 1217 Ps/t, with multiple performance indicators achieving global top standards.

In other words, the new speed record has been set, officially announcing to the world that in the battle for dominance over performance standards, Chinese car manufacturers are no longer just bystanders.

You should know that among the models that rank alongside the Yangwang U9 Xtreme, none of them are leaders in the development of the automotive industry. The presence of brands like Bugatti, SSC, and Koenigsegg has always been something that Chinese car companies need to look up to.

Now, with the Yangwang U9 Xtreme suddenly rising to the top of the list, the profound significance is self-evident. What does 496.22 km/h really mean? Is it the technological prowess provided by BYD's tech pool for the Yangwang U9, proving that electric drive can rival fuel power? Or does it mean that Chinese supercars now have a ticket to join the 2-million-dollar club?

In fact, these answers are too superficial. The true meaning is hidden in every frame of watching U9 Xtreme break the world record.

On the one hand, for Yangwang itself, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme shares the same origin as the current Yangwang U9, featuring an innovative technology architecture centered around YisiFang and Yunnan-X. Unlike traditional supercars, this technology architecture introduces "body posture control" into track scenarios, exploring the safety and performance boundaries of supercars in track environments.

Moreover, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme continues the overall design of the current Yangwang U9, fully validating the scientific design and technical reliability of the Yangwang U9 under ultra-high-speed conditions.

On the other hand, while traditional giants are still hesitant about fully betting on electrification, Yangwang U9 is paving a new ascending pathway for the Chinese automotive industry with "high-tech premium - feedback to the entire industry chain - reshaping the global landscape."

Looking back on the tumultuous development of the past few decades, the transformation of China's automotive industry feels like a different era. What the Western world should perhaps be more wary of than the speed of 496.22 km/h is the shift in perspective of the Chinese automotive industry from looking up to looking level and then to looking down.

In the electric era, the unfinished answers of traditional giants are being rewritten by BYD with a new solution: the new global speed record not only demonstrates BYD Group's strong technical innovation and hard strength in vertical integration but also highlights the breakthroughs of Chinese independent brands in the high-performance automotive field on the world stage.

Technology is not for showing off.

Over the years, we have witnessed numerous miracles created by BYD. Sales have doubled, reputation has doubled, and everything has established industrial milestones for BYD as the era of electrification arrives.

Even so, by using this record-breaking speed as a milestone, we can better understand the heights that BYD has reached in the field of technological innovation. This not only provides a source of performance for a supercar but also charts a forward-looking and promising path for the development of the entire industry. The highly forward-looking technological iteration will further accelerate the advancement of the entire industry.

At this moment, regardless of how the Chinese automotive industry has lamented the sophistication of foreign car manufacturers' three core technologies and the excellence of their manufacturing processes, perhaps we can truly shout out that phrase: "Sir! The era has passed."

In addition to setting new records, innovatively introducing "vehicle body posture control" into track scenarios not only achieves a qualitative leap in performance that surpasses theoretical data but also reshapes physical limits, allowing for both top speed and lap time to be balanced within the same product. This elevates the comprehensive performance of electric supercars to a new height and essentially represents a dimensional reduction attack by the Chinese automotive industry on traditional supercar technology pathways.

Since the launch of the Yangwang U9, its price of 1.68 million yuan has shocked European media as it entered the supercar club; now, with multiple speed records being broken, it is clear that, whether the outside world acknowledges it or not, the Yangwang U9 truly deserves the title of supercar killer

Moreover, when tackling the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme underwent deep calibration of the YISIFANG electric braking algorithm, effectively reducing mechanical braking load. In the actual test on the 177 corners of the Nürburgring, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme achieved consistent braking performance without any fade, demonstrating top-notch braking stability. This truly reflects that the pinnacle of Chinese manufacturing technology has long since emerged from the laboratory.

Of course, we have always believed that the strength of Chinese automobiles has never been a technological hunt for the purpose of mere showmanship.

For the vast majority of consumers, the all-domain 1200V ultra-high voltage platform, which iterated as the Yangwang U9 broke speed records, has been extended to high-end models such as the Denza N9. The battery thermal management solution is providing redundancy for the off-road scenarios of the million-level Yangwang U8. The Yunnian-X system has also evolved into versions like Yunnian-P and Yunnian-C. This strategy of "using cutting-edge breakthroughs to feed back into the base market" is now rarely seen worldwide.

In short, the U9 Xtreme setting a new speed record undoubtedly establishes a new milestone in the technological development of new energy vehicles by achieving breakthroughs in both speed and lap time.

Perhaps, as discussed in last night's livestream of "Four Lanes," when it comes to "what constitutes Chinese luxury," time is a key obstacle for Chinese car companies to compete with traditional luxury brands. However, from a long-term perspective, any operation that breaks old records is always necessary.