Lamborghini may have nixed plans for a high-end EV, but that doesn’t mean the idea of an electric hypercar has lost all of its steam. Besides Ferrari’s highly anticipated foray into the world of electric vehicles, China’s BYD is also making its mark. As Car News China’s Adrian Leung reports, one of the automaker’s Yangwang U9 Xtreme hypercars, of which only 30 were made, has sold for well over $2 million at this year’s Beijing Auto Show.
Readers may recall that this Chinese hypercar set a new speed record in Papenburg last year; now, it’s started breaking monetary records. There are plenty of noteworthy aspects to the recent Yangwang U9 sale, beginning with the price: $2.76 million, which is reportedly the highest price paid for a car at this year’s show, and makes this the most expensive BYD ever. There’s also the aforementioned speed record, and the overall look of the Xtreme model, which evokes a sleek style more often associated with Italian automakers.
BYD’s Latest Hypercar Set a New Speed Record
Big news from Papenburg, GermanyBYD has made plenty of headlines for the overall popularity of its vehicles. A few months ago, the company surpassed Tesla as the largest EV manufacturer in the world. Given that BYD’s vehicles are not sold in the U.S. market, I cannot personally attest to what they’re like to drive — but I did ride in one of their SUVs last year while traveling and was impressed by the experience.
Even BYD’s more budget-friendly offerings are getting high marks from industry observers. In a review of BYD’s low-cost Seagull for InsideEVs, Kevin Williams hailed the electric city car as “smooth riding, sophisticated and well finished.” Having made a statement at the lower end of the market, BYD now seems intent on proving it can compete in the highest echelons, too.
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