BYD’s 1,287-hp YangWang U9 Gets Red Hot During Nurburgring Testing

The BYD YangWang U9 promises hypercar performance for a fraction of the cost, and the Chinese carmaker has brought a pair of prototypes to the Nurburgring. It now has the opportunity to show just how quick the company’s flagship electric supercar can be.

BYD has fitted the YangWang U9 with four electric motors that combine to pump out 1,287 hp and 1,239 lb-ft (1,680 Nm) of torque. While some electric hypercars are approaching the 2,000 hp mark, the U9 is still extraordinarily powerful, claiming 2.36 seconds for the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) run. It can also fire down the quarter-mile in 9.78 seconds.

Read: $233k Yangwang U9 Supercar Costs $100k More Than Expected, But Should Ferrari And Rimac Be Worried?

Of course, making a quick car in a straight line is much easier than developing one that can tackle the Nurburgring competently and at high speed. One of the key features of the YangWang U9 is the trick Disus-X suspension system that controls the spring rates and damping, giving the U9 the ability to drive on three wheels and bounce up and down. At the ‘Ring, this system also helps to keep the car relatively flat through the corners, an impressive feat considering the EV weighs 5,456 lbs (2,475 kg).

The engineer behind the wheel of this YangWang U9 can be seen pushing the car to its limits through some of the circuit’s most difficult courses. It looks quick but doesn’t seem fast enough to challenge any lap records at this stage. However, with some extra testing, it may be able to lap Green Hell in the low-7-minute range. Whether or not it will challenge the 7:05.298 time of the Rimac Nevera remains to be seen.

During some of the high-speed laps, the front brakes of the U9 were glowing red. While that’s not uncommon on a race car, it’s not something you see all that often on a street car like this. We suspect the U9’s massive heft explains why those brakes are getting so hot.