An electric car produced by Yangwang, owned by BYD, has become the first production car to exceed 305mph in Germany, beating the fearsome Bugatti Chiron
A Chinese electric car has officially become the world’s fastest production car, taking the title from its petrol-powered competition.
The Yangwang U9 Xtreme, created by the same parent company that produces the BYD Seal, took the title of the world’s fastest production car from the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+.
Whilst the Bugatti managed 304.8mph during it’s 2019 record run, the Yangwang managed 308.4mph at the Papenburgh high speed oval in Germany.
The Yangwang’s achievement now means it is also officially the world’s fastest production electric car as well.
In a statement following the achievement, BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li said: “This is an incredibly proud moment for everyone in the research and development division.
“Yangwang is a brand that does not recognise the impossible, and only through this commitment to what’s coming next can you end up with a vehicle like the U9X.
“I extend my gratitude to the whole team, and my thanks to the driver, Marc Basseng, for his skill and technical input. It’s terrific that the fastest production car in the world is now electric.”
Marc Basseng, 46, may not be a name familiar to some sports fans, but in the world of motor racing he has achieved a lot.
A renowned GT racer, he has won several 24 hour races at the likes of Daytona and Spa, and has set multiple lap records around the fearsome Nürburgring, a circuit where he has won 26 times.
Despite the brave and fearsome nature of what he has achieved, Marc has said he believes he could have gone faster still. When asked by Top Gear where this record ranks in his list of achievements, he was happy, but believed he could have gone faster.
He said: “It’s pretty up there. A great moment, not just for me as a driver, but for the whole team, I really think we did something special. Theoretically, I could have stayed on the throttle for another second and a half. Theoretically.”
What isn’t theoretical is Marc’s dedication to his personal as well as his professional life as he admitted that his major achievement didn’t stop him from doing the school run afterwards.
He said: “Afterwards I got in my car, drove 600km (373 miles) back home and was up at 6am the next morning for the school run.”
Whilst Marc and BYD are celebrating an electric car taking the crown from it’s petrol-powered rivals, the world looks to be shifting on its electric axis, as manufacturers hold back on a full EV switch.
In a period now dubbed ‘the ICE age’ by some publications, with ICE an acronym for ‘internal combustion engine’, Bentley has become the latest brand to announce the continuation of petrol engines.
Renowned British brand Bentley, owned by VW, had originally planned to phase out ICE engines by 2035 under its Beyond100 strategy, but has reneged on the plan and followed Porsche, who are also renewing their petrol engines.
Confirming the decision current Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser told Autocar: “There is a dip in demand for luxury electric vehicles, and customer demand is not yet strong enough to support an all-electric strategy.
“The luxury market is a lot different today than when we announced Beyond100. Electrification is still our goal, but we need to take our customers with us.”