BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme Reaches 503.17kph on a Closed Abu Dhabi Highway

The new figure beats the car's earlier best of 496.22kph, which BYD set in September 2025 at the ATP Papenburg test track in Germany. BYD presented that run as a record for a production car. It took the title from the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, which reached 490.484kph in 2019. Some coverage at the time said the Papenburg straight, about 4km long, had stopped the car reaching its full top speed. Running on an open highway gives a car more room to build speed.

The Abu Dhabi government statement did not say which organisation verified the 503.17kph figure or which record category it claims. BYD has not yet issued its own account of the run.

For Abu Dhabi, the event was about investment as much as speed. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), the Department of Culture and Tourism and the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility) worked with other authorities to close and prepare the road. The government presents the run as part of a wider effort to bring Chinese carmakers to the emirate.

"BYD chose Abu Dhabi to make automotive history, and we are proud to have played a part in making it possible," said Mohamed Ali Al Kamali, chief of trade and industry at ADIO. "From ROX Motor and Freelander to BYD, we are seeing a new chapter in Abu Dhabi's engagement with leading Chinese automotive companies." He said the emirate wants to be a place where global carmakers "can achieve breakthroughs and pursue their next stage of growth."

Hamad Adel Al Afeefi, executive director of the intelligent transportation systems sector at Abu Dhabi Mobility, said the run required "precise technical planning, effective traffic management, and close coordination" with the relevant authorities and stakeholders.

The statement links BYD's run to Abu Dhabi's existing ties with ROX Motor and Freelander, two other Chinese-backed brands that ADIO has worked with. It did not say whether BYD plans any investment or manufacturing in the emirate. ADIO's pitch to carmakers rests on Abu Dhabi's location, logistics and access to regional and international markets.

The U9 Xtreme is a high-performance version of the electric supercar sold under Yangwang, BYD's luxury brand. Chinese carmakers are pushing into the Gulf, where demand for electric vehicles is growing. What remains unclear is whether the government's backing for a promotional run will lead to factories or regional headquarters.