Chinese automotive news website CarNewsChina reports that BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme supercar crashed on a closed-loop track in China while attempting to reach a mind-boggling 500 kilometers per hour, or about 311 miles per hour.
Footage of the $3 million Yangwang U9 Xtreme shows the hypercar striking a barrier at high speed. The impact tore the vehicle to shreds, but the cockpit remained intact and the driver survived.
Per the report:
The BYD's 3 million USD supercar Yangwang U9 Xtreme with a combined peak power of 2,220 kW (2,977 hp) crashed in China, possibly during a test attempt to reach the top speed of 500 km/h. Although the car's rear axle was completely detached, the driver avoided injuries.
The hypercar produces roughly 3,000 horsepower with four electric motors and has a planned production run of 30 cars worldwide. BYD has claimed the hypercar can reach speeds of 308 mph.
Automotive news website Autoblog commented on the crash:
While the news of this accident is both good and bad, the reality is that traveling at those speeds brings science into question. The faster the car, the more it needs to handle the laws of physics and science that push back at high speed. It'll need the right aerodynamics, but most importantly, the right tires to put all that power down at those speeds without breaking or losing traction.
Notably, the Tesla Roadster is equipped with a fan-suction and skirt system that generates up to 2G of downforce, which can keep the hypercar's tires firmly loaded at high speeds, improving grip, cornering stability, and braking.