10/05/2026

theSunday Special XV ON SUNDAY MAY 10, 2026

Most expensive BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme sells for RM11.6 million at Auto China 2026

THE world’s fastest produc tion car should rightly be tagged with an exorbitant price tag and it would appear that is the case as the BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme electric supercar was recently sold for more than 20,000,000 yuan (RM 11.6m) at Auto China 2026, becoming the world’s most expensive BYD… yet. According to BYD, the U9 Xtreme supercar is limited to only 30 units globally, with one personally delivered during the show by BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu. BYD swooped in like a wrecking ball with the U9 Xtreme and laid down a blis

with the limited run of 30 units for what is currently the fastest production car in the world. BYD is hoping that exclusiv ity will drive sales and desir ability. Sales data in China shows that Yangwang recorded domestic sales of 945 units in Q1 2026, an 80.3% increase over 2025. After successfully taking on the legacy brands in the mass market, high-volume game, Chinese carmakers are now eyeing the ultra-luxury and high-performance segments that thrive on exclusivity and status, the latter being an aspect that they lacked, but are now slowly but surely building on.

upper echelons of the luxury game. Both these models showcase Yangwang’s posi tioning in the hyper perform ance and ultra luxury seg ments, taking the fight to the established legacy marques in the process. Yangwang operates as BYD’s premium sub-brand, focussing on a low-volume, high-price strategy, as seen

architecture and rides on BYD’s DiSus-X fully active sus pension system. Alongside the U9 Xtreme, BYD also presented the Yangwang U8L luxury four seater SUV to one of the first customers. The U8L is posi tioned to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 in the

tering 496kph top speed run, leaving the legacy brands in its rear-view mirror. While it did not set a new Nurburgring lap time, a sub seven-minute time of 6:59.157 is still very much respectable and among the quickest recorded. The U9 Xtreme makes a reported 3,000PS using 1,200V electrical

EV’s make some people sick – in a good way

ELECTRIC vehicles (EVs) are known to be quiet. Much quieter than their petrol- or diesel-powered counter parts. In fact, EVs are quiet inside and out, and this is due to the lack of noise traditionally generated by an engine and a transmission box. Having driven nearly every new EV in the market, I can personally testify to their silence. These electric cars are not only quiet because of an absence of an engine and a transmission box, but car makers have also gone above and beyond by loading them with features like double glazed windows which absorb ambient sounds before they reach passengers in the cabin. Some love the quiet ride, this writer included. There is just something to love about a car that can isolate its passengers from all the horrors of the world around. Sometimes all we want to do is to sit in silence after a long day. Radio off, phone on silent, no disturbance, just peace. It’s how some of us dis connect. But apparently not every one agrees with that. Some owners and passengers are

Sounds for example. This generates synthetic humming or even “spaceship” like noises through the speakers that sync with the car’s speed and acceleration. They can also adjust the regenera tive braking, a feature available in all electric cars. By adjusting them to its lowest or even the standard setting, there will be less jolting or “nose dives.” There is also the chill or eco mode that dampens the accelerator response, and makes acceleration feel more gradual. This smooth driving will make the car feel more like a petrol powered car. The final tip is to simply open a window ever so slightly. The sound of the air rushing in will provide occu pants with a constant auditory speed reference and the fresh air will also help calm nausea. EV’s are great to drive but they are a new breed of cars and as such need to be understood better. We can’t just jump in and expect them to behave the same, some adjustments are needed but it is only a matter of time till we get used to them.

not match the car’s move ment, and this resulted in a strange and unnatural silence inside the car. Rolls-Royce engineers had placed a whopping 100kg of sound deadening material inside the Ghost. They analysed everything about the car and placed sound insulating material

now saying that they feel nauseated when they sit in an EV. While the lack of exterior sound has been fixed by adding chimes and fake exhaust sound in the name of pedestrian safety, but interior refinement has remained largely unchanged. However, this is not some

WRITTEN BY KESHY DHILLON

around the window glass, the tyres, windshield wipers and even the air conditioning vents. But this resulted in a car that was too quiet for human sensory. So, what did Rolls-Royce do? The engineers worked on “harmonising” sounds in the car so they would sound natural. They added dampers into the seat frames, vents to the booth space and more. This was to ensure the car sounded as natural as possible with out sacrificing comfort and quiet ele gance. But what can EV drivers and pas sengers do? They can use the tech that is readily available in the car for example. Some EV’s have fake engine sounds like BMW’s Iconic

thing new though. When Rolls-Royce unveiled its then brand new Ghost back in 2020, it too faced a similar problem. The Ghost is the ultra-luxury car maker’s statement of affluence for people who don’t want their wealth to shout but rather to whisper. Rolls Royce designers termed this as “post opulence,” whatever that may mean. But that’s beside the point here. When building the Ghost, the design ers and engineers wanted the new Rolls-Royce to be a “relaxing and quiet space.” But soon, occupants found that the near total silence was disorienting. Owners of the British carmaker recounted that the lack of sound did