A BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme reached 503.17 km/h (312.65 mph) on a closed section of the E11 highway in Al Dhafrah, Abu Dhabi, a run Guinness World Records has entered as the highest speed achieved by a production car in a single-direction run.
The record is credited to BYD of China, with Marc Basseng of Germany driving. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile verified the speed on 1 November 2026.
Two titles from one run
Guinness World Records lists the Abu Dhabi run under two headings: highest speed achieved by a production car in a single direction, and highest speed achieved by an electric production car in a single direction. Passing 500 km/h “marks a significant engineering milestone for a production EV”, the record page says.
Single direction, not two
Both titles carry a qualifier from the record keeper. The records “relate specifically to peak speed in a single direction and should not be confused with conventional fastest-production-car records, which require different testing protocols, including runs in opposite directions”, Guinness World Records said.
The 503.17 km/h figure is a peak speed registered travelling one way along the closed road, not an outright two-way production-car mark.
How the speed was checked
Guinness World Records says the speed was independently verified using the vehicle’s onboard speedometer and a calibrated VBOX system.
An FIA representative reviewed the data and provided written confirmation to Guinness World Records as part of the verification process.