BUGATTI’S claim to production car fame has not only been matched, but surpassed by a Chinese EV maker, which also took the title of fastest EV in the process.
Although there are a few asterisks to address, the feat has both introduced a new name to the top of the mass manufacturing mountain, and set a new production car speed record.
Behind the wheel for the lap was German race driver Marc Basseng, a former FIA GT1 World Championship and Clio Cup Germany winner.
This eclipses the previous record set by the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ prototype in August 2019 by a winning margin of 3.6 mph over the Bugatti’s 304.8 mph, driven by Le Mans winner Andy Wallace.
The U9X clocks in with 2,977 hp, more than double the 1,288 hp the anything-but-basic U9 model has, from four electric motors with each powering its own wheel.
These engines were paired with an electric architecture which allowed the U9X to become the world’s first 1200-volt vehicle, significant for batteries being the limiting factor in EV power distribution rather than motors.
While the U9X has yet to enter production, Yangwang does plan to make 30 units available for sale worldwide, technically making it a production car but only by the slimmest of margins.
However, it’s unknown if these 30 will be exact replicas of the record breaking EV, or if some mechanical differences will appear once they start rolling off the line.
There are also some mechanical tweaks to the specific U9 Xtreme which broke the record top speed record, such as wheels and tires which are smaller overall in size than prior models and a narrower frontend.
The run was also done on bespoke Giti semi-slick tires, which are an entirely different breed of tire from the Michelin tires used in the Bugatti’s run and in most other high-speed record attempts.
The same U9X, which broke the top speed record, also set an impressive Nürburgring lap time of 6 minutes and 59.157 seconds.
However, this was not enough to get to the top of the ‘Ring’s leaderboards, still dominated by the Xiamoi SU7 Ultra Prototype’s 6:22.091 time.
The U9X’s lap time has also yet to appear on the official list of certified lap times, but it’s likely to appear sooner or later considering ATP has already certified the speed record.
Since the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ is already over and done with its 30 unit production run, it’s likely that the next record will be broken by a new model, regardless of which manufacturer does it.
One viable candidate for the next record is Swedish electric hypercar manufacturer Koenigsegg, which claims its Jesko Absolut has a theoretical top speed of 330.5 mph.
The Jesko Absolut is currently waiting on tire approval and a suitable venue to attempt the record, but is “in a very deep collaboration with Michelin” to address the former, per CarBuzz.
One other name to look out for is Hennessey, with its Venom F5 model “engineered to exceed 300 mph” per the manufacturer’s official website.
While the Chiron Super Sport 300+ was the first production car to eclipse 300 mph, the first car period to do it was the Campbell-Railton Blue Bird in 1935 with a top speed of 301.337 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
The Best “Go Paid” Deal on Substack! You Get REAL Stuff!!
Go paid at the $5 a month level, and we will send you both the PDF and e-Pub versions of Etienne’s new book: To See the Cage Is to Leave It - 25 Techniques the Few Use to Control the Many and a coupon code for 10% off anything in the https://artofliberty.org/store/.
Go paid at the $50 a year level, and we will send you a free paperback edition of Etienne’s new book: To See the Cage Is to Leave It - 25 Techniques the Few Use to Control the Many OR “Government” - The Biggest Scam in History… Exposed! OR a 64GB Liberator flash drive if you live in the US. If you are international, we will give you a $10 credit towards shipping if you agree to pay the remainder.
Support us at the $250 Founding Member Level and get a signed high-resolution hardcover of “Government” - The Biggest Scam in History... Exposed! + Liberator flash drive + a signed high-resolution hardcover of Etienne’s new book: To See the Cage Is to Leave It - 25 Techniques the Few Use to Control the Many + everything else in our “Everything Bundle” of the best in voluntaryist thought delivered domestically. International pays shipping. Our only option for signed copies besides catching Etienne @ an event.
