Yin and Yang(wang)

When I was a kid, my friends and I used to look at speedometers through the driver's window.

This allowed us to immediately deduce the top speed of the car in question, even though we later learned that it wasn't quite that simple. But in those prehistoric times—i.e., before the internet—sources of information were as rare as they were expensive, especially when you had to dip into your monthly allowance to buy a car magazine that was worth its weight in candy bars. What's more, the technical specifications provided by manufacturers were not always the most accurate, with the Vmax displayed for some of their models undoubtedly having been obtained with a tailwind on a slight downhill slope and with the mirrors folded in.

Nowadays, no one would be naive enough to trust the final graduation on speedometers, which are invisible anyway when the ignition is off and the TFT screens go dark. Not to mention that ChatGPT is our friend, providing on demand the performance figures of any vehicle on the planet and beyond in less time than it takes a supercar to go from 0 to 60 mph from a standing start. Assuming, of course, that the subject still arouses interest, since these days, anyone who brings it up at a dinner party would probably be quickly told that “top speed is outdated.”

Well, the brains at Yangwang clearly haven't been briefed on the latest trends, as their “U9 Xtreme” recently set the electronic speed signs alight at the test track in Papenburg, in northwestern Germany. On September 20, driver Marc Basseng—almost a local, having been born 300 km further south in Engelkirschen—took the Chinese GT to 496.22 km/h, setting a new record for a production car and adding nearly 6 km/h to the previous record set by the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport in 2019.

In doing so, the newcomer made a remarkable entry into the very exclusive club of micro-manufacturers who have been competing for the title in question for the last quarter of a century, with—in no particular order—models with such bizarre names as SSC Ultimate Aero and Tuatara, Koenigsegg CCR and Agera RS, and Hennessey Venom. Not to mention Bugatti, which, while meeting this definition, has an incomparable history and reputation, and is also the only representative of a global industrial group. Be that as it may, this small world is now being shaken up by a speedster from the Middle Kingdom, which is showing a lot of nerve with its name reminiscent of a German subway line, powered by washing machine engines, and barely the second model from a manufacturer that didn't even exist three years ago.

I know what some of you are going to say.

Firstly, that behind Yangwang lies the company that is now the world's fifth largest automotive group in terms of number of cars sold. It is somewhat ironic that the full name of BYD, “Build Your Dream,” would have been perfect for a vehicle seeking a world speed record, having reached speeds of nearly 500 km/h. But let's not forget that the group, founded in 1995 as a battery manufacturer, only burst onto the automotive scene in 2003, and that the FD3, launched just 20 years ago, which was the first truly homemade model, was apparently a clone of the 10th generation Toyota Corolla “Brad Pitt”, so nicknamed because of the TV commercial featuring the famous actor.

Furthermore, nitpickers will be quick to point out that the Yangwang U9's performance will not make it into the Guinness Book of Records, as the latter only takes into account the average speed achieved between two runs in opposite directions in less than an hour, in order to neutralize the possible influence of wind. This criticism is certainly legitimate, but I don't recall it being levelled at the Bugatti Chiron, whose 490.484 km/h, certified by the highly reputable German TUV, was also measured on a single run. And then, wind or no wind, the car still drove at a speed that the chassis and its components had to withstand.

If the feat accomplished by the U9 is so annoying, it is because it is the instrument of a double domination. Starting with that of the Chinese automotive industry, which Europeans may not really need to be reminded of, given the constant rise in the share of its manufacturers in their markets, while locally built factories are just starting production. Through a newly created brand designed to compete in the premium segment, BYD is hammering home its advantage by adding a new world title to its crown as the leading electric car manufacturer. No doubt with even greater things to come, at least in the minds of its leaders.

And, of course, the electric car is reminding us of its achievements in a field in which it already distinguished itself in the last months of the 19th century, since it was on April 29, 1899, that the “Jamais Contente”—a kind of cigar on wheels powered by batteries—became the first car in history to exceed 100 km/h. The quest for absolute speed is both obvious and absurd for an electric car, since although it is infinitely easier to increase the power of its “mechanics” than that of an internal combustion engine, the approach seems at least contradictory to the purpose of this type of car, which is supposed to promote a more reasonable use of energy. This paradox is illustrated by the U9 itself, whose power has been more than doubled for the record-breaking model, which boasts 3,000 hp, while the “civilian” version has to make do with “only” 1,300 hp. The latter nevertheless retains the 1,200-volt architecture—a world first—even if its speedometer barely goes beyond 300 km/h.

Obviously, we imagine that the next step should be to exceed 500 km/h. And something tells me that Yangwang's executives are seriously considering this, having rushed to claim the fastest lap time for an electric model on the famous Nürburgring circuit, previously held by the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra. Unless, that is, a manufacturer stung to the quick takes up the challenge of reclaiming its crown from the insolent, restless Chinese company, which is definitely more Yang(wang) than Yin...