- A track-spec YangWang U9 is coming with four 555-kilowatt motors.
- Mate Rimac says he doubts the car can deliver its claimed power for more than a few seconds or put it to the ground.
- Full power delivery is likely only possible at speeds over 150 mph, according to Rimac.
BYD is preparing to launch a track-focused quad-motor version of its U9 electric supercar—the one that does jumps—with an absurd power rating. Each of its four drive units produces 555 kilowatts, which adds up to 2,200 kW in total, or just under 3,000 horsepower.
None of this is speculation or rumors. CarNewsChina uncovered a filing with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which also stated the vehicle would have a top speed of 217 mph (350 km/h). This means the Rimac Nevera R will soon be dethroned as the world’s most powerful road-legal production car by a difference of 870 hp.
The news prompted Mate Rimac to comment on the Apex Automotor Facebook group, where he said he doubted the vehicle could deliver this much power due to battery technology limitations. The motors and inverters would also have trouble delivering that much power, as would the tires, which are also pushed beyond their traction limit by the 2,107 hp Nevera R.
So even if the document states the car will be capable of delivering 2,200 kW, it will likely be only for a few seconds at a time. The full power may be unleashed by pressing a special temporary boost button, but it’s unlikely to be the vehicle’s nominal output. It would not be able to put that kind of power down until going past 150 mph, so full power may be limited until the car reaches higher speeds.
Helping it try to put all of that power down are 325-section 20-inch wheels on all four corners and a massive rear wing that looks like it’s creating downforce even just standing still. It also gets an aggressive front splitter and the rear diffuser is adjustable to vary how much effect it has on the airflow.
The regular Yangwang U9 with its dual-motor setup makes 1,287 hp, sprints to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.36 seconds, and has a top speed of 192 mph (309 km/h). The track-focused variant will be considerably quicker, and it should out-accelerate the Nevera R, which hits 62 mph in 1.72 seconds, but it won’t beat the Rimac for top speed, since it’s geared to go up to 268.2 mph (431.45 km/h). That's a proper top speed for a car from the company that also owns Bugatti now.
