Rimac's Worst Nightmare Just Set A New Top Speed Record

3 months ago - 29 August 2025, Carbuzz

Chinese automakers are rapidly emerging as a formidable force in the race to set new performance benchmarks for electric vehicles – an arena long dominated by a single brand, Rimac.

Hot on the heels of Xiaomi's SU7 Ultra sedan setting a record lap time of 7:04.957 for a production EV at the Nürburgring in June, Yangwang has announced that its U9 supercar has set a new top speed record for production EVs of 472.41 kph (approximately 293.54 mph).

The record was set on August 8 at the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg high-speed test track in Germany, and smashes the previous record of 431.45 kph (268 mph) set by the Rimac Nevera R set at the same site only last month. It demonstrates just how quickly the EV performance scene is evolving.

It wasn't just the standard U9 with 1,288 horsepower that achieved the latest feat. Instead, it was a new U9 Track Edition model, which the company claims delivers a peak output of 3,000 metric hp, or 2,959 hp using the American measurement for power. The output is generated by a quad-motor powertrain, where each motor spins at up to 30,000 rpm and is rated at a peak of 744 hp. The motors independently power each of the four wheels, taking instructions from a torque-vectoring system that reacts faster than 100 times per second.

The U9 Track Edition's output is well above the 2,107 hp of the Nevera R, and Rimac CEO and founder Mate Rimac has thrown some shade on the figure, suggesting earlier this month that the 80-kilowatt-hour battery used in the Yangwang U9 wouldn't be able to discharge enough energy fast enough to support such an output for even a single second. Of course, it could be that Yangwang is using a different battery with higher discharge capability in the U9 Track Edition. It'd have to be a battery with new technology not even Mate Rimac himself is aware of though.

While the company hasn't updated us on the battery, it has mentioned some other upgrades for the U9 Track Edition beyond the new motors. Yangwang said the U9 Track Edition shares its platform with the regular U9 but features a new 1,200-volt electrical system and a new thermal management system to support the high output.

Yangwang said development of the U9 Track Edition is ongoing, including development of a bespoke semi-slick tire for the car in partnership with Giti Tire. The new tire is designed to minimize slippage between the tire and the rim during hard acceleration or braking, which in turn should improve grip levels while reducing tire wear. To further aid handling, the car also features the standard U9's DiSus-X adjustable suspension setup. It can deliver up to 75 millimeters of suspension travel at each corner, and, due to its fast-reacting speed, can even cause the U9 to hop in the air.

Yangwang hasn't said when sales of the U9 Track Edition will start, but the regular U9 has been on sale in China since early 2024, where it carries a base price of 1.68 million yuan (approximately $234,600). For readers unfamiliar with Yangwang, it is Chinese auto giant BYD's new luxury brand launched in 2023. The brand also sells the U7 sedan and U8 SUV.

While it's not clear how close to production the record-setting car is, the one thing that is very clear is that Rimac won't have the EV performance records all to itself again.