A Complicated Record with High-Speed Machines
Richard Hammond made a name for himself by taking fast cars to their limits and making the experience accessible to viewers. Some of his most memorable moments, though, have come from things not going to plan.
A jet-powered dragster crash in 2006 put him in the hospital and showed just how little room there is for error at high speed. Later, he crashed a 1,200-horsepower Rimac during a hillclimb, but walked away. These moments have become part of his story, a reminder that speed and risk are never far apart for Hammond.
And yet, here he is again, getting inside the Yangwang U9 Xtreme – the world’s fastest car with almost triple the power of the Rimac. Uh oh.
Fear and Respect
Hammond didn’t hide his nerves as he approached the U9 Xtreme. He made it clear that his past run-ins with high-powered machines were front of mind, and he knows better than most that cars like this don’t forgive mistakes. That sense of caution stuck with him once he hit the track.
What surprised him most was how effortless the performance felt. Acceleration wasn’t dramatic – it was just immediate, with no buildup at all. It wasn’t so much about the sensation of speed as the simple fact of it. One moment you’re here, the next you’re somewhere else, and the car barely seems to notice.
He went in expecting a straight-line brute, but what he found was something far more composed – and maybe a little unsettling. For a car this heavy, Hammond said the U9 Xtreme turned in sharply, kept its body in check, and handled the tricky stuff behind the scenes while he just steered and worked the throttle. There were moments when he wondered if he was really in charge or just along for the ride.
By the end, Hammond’s reaction was a mix of awe and nerves. He called the experience addictive and even joyful, but not exactly comforting. The car still scared him, and in his view, that’s exactly what a hypercar is supposed to do.
Yangwang
Faster than a Bugatti
The Yangwang U9 Xtreme is BYD’s boldest performance car so far. It runs a 1,200-volt electrical system and packs four electric motors for a combined output just shy of 3,000 horsepower. Torque vectoring and the DiSus-X active suspension handle grip, weight shifts, and body control as you drive.
Power comes from a track-ready lithium-iron-phosphate Blade Battery built for consistent output. The design is all about aerodynamics, from the sharp front splitter to the swan-neck rear wing and multi-layered diffuser.
Recent verified runs have seen it top 308 mph in a single direction and lap the Nürburgring in under seven minutes. The numbers are wild, but the way U9 Xtreme delivers them, as we’ve seen in the video, is incredibly casual.
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