BYD sells EV supercar at Beijing Auto Show 2026 for $2.9 million

BYD's ultra-luxury sub-brand Yangwang rolled out its most expensive model yet at the Beijing Auto Show, securing the first elite buyer for the limited-edition vehicle. The production version of the Yangwang U9 Xtreme is priced at more than 20 million yuan ($2,290,000) per unit, making it the most expensive car sold at this year's Beijing Auto Show 

Yangwang U9 Xtreme delivery from Wang Chanfu (left) Ceo BYD to Nick Politis

BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu personally handed the keys to a Yangwang U9 Xtreme at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show on April 24. The buyer was Nick Politis AM, Greek-Australian billionaire and chairman of the Sydney Roosters NRL club, who secured the only unit destined for Australia. The transation makes it the most expensive car sold at this year's show and the priciest vehicle BYD has ever produced. The U9 Xtreme is limited to 30 units worldwide, all in left-hand-drive configuration, with no more than one allocated per export market. 

Politis has indicated the car will primarily serve as a promotional asset for BYD dealerships in Australia rather than a road car — a practical concession given that left-hand-drive vehicles face strict registration limits in the country. At roughly 11 times the cost of the standard Yangwang U9, which lists at 1,800,000 yuan (c. $263,200), the Xtreme occupies a price bracket closer to Bugatti and Pagani territory than anything previously associated with the BYD Group. 

Yangwang U9 Xtreme front

Yangwang debuted the production version of the U9 Xtreme on April 24, the opening day of the Beijing Auto Show 2026, featuring a striking black-and-gold exterior and a massive rear wing. 

On September 20, 2025, Yangwang gave the U9 Xtreme its initial debut and began accepting pre-orders for the 30 globally available units. 

The U9 Xtreme features an upgraded powertrain, with each of its four motors boasting a peak power of 555 kW, delivering a combined 2,220 kW (2,977 horsepower/ 3.018,36 Cv). The system operates on a 1,200V silicon carbide platform — a world first in mass production, according to BYD — paired with an LFP battery. Stopping power comes from a titanium-alloy carbon-ceramic braking system, while Yangwang's DiSus-X active suspension delivers up to 9 kW of bidirectional pressure per wheel and adjusts at rates of up to 500 mm per second. 

In September 2025, the U9 Xtreme clocked a lap time of 6 minutes and 59.157 seconds at Germany's Nürburgring track, making it the first pure-electric production car to break the seven-minute barrier on the circuit. That time eclipsed the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra's 7:04.957 by over five seconds, putting a Chinese EV at the top of the Nordschleife leaderboard for production electric cars. 

Additionally, at ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg in Germany, driver Marc Basseng pushed the U9 Xtreme to 496.22 km/h (308 mph), claiming the outright production-car top speed record — surpassing not only every other EV but every production car regardless of powertrain. 

Yangwang U9 Xtreme rear

For BYD, the Xtreme is less about volume and more about repositioning Yangwang as a technology flagship capable of standing alongside established European hypercar makers. Whether the remaining 29 buyers will surface at future auto shows — or quietly collect their cars behind closed doors — remains to be seen.