BYD has released footage of its Yangwang U9 Xtreme crashing during a high-speed test at an attempted speed of more than 450 km/h (about 280 mph). The car struck a guardrail and spun out of control, but the driver was found to have no serious injuries after a medical examination, according to the company.
The crash came during the third run of a test intended to push the electric supercar toward 500 km/h (310 mph). It had exceeded 350 km/h (217 mph) on its first run and 420 km/h (261 mph) on its second.
The U9 Xtreme is a track-focused version of Yangwang’s electric hypercar. Its four-motor setup is rated at nearly 3,000 PS, and BYD says the model uses a mass-produced 1,200-volt platform and an e4 platform. The company also said the car’s carbon-fiber cabin remained intact despite damage to the front and rear.
BYD returned to testing after the crash, with the car reaching 457.89 km/h (284.5 mph) on a subsequent run. Jiang Gong, identified as a Yangwang rider, said he believed there was room to go faster and that the car could exceed 500 km/h.
The U9 Xtreme had previously reached 496.22 km/h (about 308 mph), which BYD said made it the world’s fastest production car. The company is now aiming to surpass the 500 km/h mark.
Sources: Electrek.