Sydney businessman and Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis has secured Australia’s only example of the YangWang U9 Xtreme, a limited-edition electric hypercar regarded as the fastest production vehicle in the world.
Politis signed for the vehicle at the Beijing Auto Show, becoming the sole Australian buyer of the high-performance model produced by BYD under its luxury sub-brand YangWang.
The fully electric hypercar reportedly achieved a top speed of 496.22km/h during testing in Germany, surpassing the benchmark set by the Bugatti Chiron. It has also recorded a sub-seven-minute lap at the Nürburgring, making it one of the fastest electric performance cars ever tested.
Only 30 examples of the YangWang U9 Xtreme will be built globally, with one allocated to each market. A spokesperson for BYD Australia said the vehicle is expected to cost more than $1 million.
Powered by four electric motors producing more than 2200kW, the car uses an 80kWh battery with a claimed driving range of around 400km. It also features an advanced suspension system capable of briefly lifting the car off the ground.
Politis said he selected a red-and-black finish inspired by the record-setting model.
“The team from China came down (to Australia) to go through colours, trims, stitching and upholstery,” he told The Daily Telegraph. “I selected red and black because that’s the colours of the car that set the world record.”
The vehicle is expected to arrive in Australia in mid-2027 and will primarily be displayed across BYD dealerships as a promotional attraction.
“It’s a great marketing thing,” Politis said. “We’ll move it around all our major BYD showrooms, and I’m sure there’ll be people lining up to see it.”
Although the car is built only in left-hand drive and may not be fully road-registrable in Australia, Politis said it would be carefully preserved due to its rarity.
“No, no,” he said when asked if he planned to race it. “I’m not a racing car type of driver mate. We’re going to look after it because it’s unique.”
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