When the Yangwang U9 Xtreme became the first production car to pass 500 km/h, everyone talked about the car. But at that speed, the only part of the car touching the road is four patches of rubber, each about the size of a hand. Now the company that made those tyres has its own world record. Giti Tire has earned the Guinness World Records title for “Highest Speed Achieved by Electric Vehicle Tyres” after its GitiSport e.GTR2 Pro tyres carried the U9 Xtreme to 503.17 km/h (312.65 mph) on a road in Abu Dhabi.
Quick Highlights
- Record title: Highest Speed Achieved by Electric Vehicle Tyres
- Tyre: GitiSport e.GTR2 Pro, developed with Yangwang over more than three years
- Speed: 503.17 km/h (312.65 mph) on the Yangwang U9 Xtreme
- Where and when: Abu Dhabi’s E11 highway, Al Dhafra region, 1 November 2026
- Certificate presented on 6 November in Dubai to Dr Enki Tan, Executive Chairman of Giti Tire Group
The Record Run
German racing driver Marc Basseng drove the Yangwang U9 Xtreme on a specially closed section of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road (E11) in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region. The run beat the car’s own previous best of 496.22 km/h, set in Germany in September 2025, by 6.95 km/h. The speed has been recognised by the FIA, and the car holds two Guinness World Records of its own for a production car and an electric production car, both in single-direction runs.
What Is the GitiSport e.GTR2 Pro?
The GitiSport e.GTR2 Pro is a tyre built for one extreme job. Giti says it is the result of more than three years of joint development with Yangwang’s engineers, and that it was created for an electric hypercar producing more than 3,000 PS. For the Abu Dhabi attempt, Giti’s engineers further optimised the tyres for the conditions of the highway and provided technical support at the site.
Worth knowing: this is not a normal road tyre. Giti says it was developed specifically for extreme-speed applications, and the company has not published construction or compound details.
A Second Record Together
This was not Giti and Yangwang’s first collaboration. Giti has said its tyres were also on the U9 Xtreme for the 496.22 km/h run in 2025, which makes this its second record with the car in about a year.
What Giti Says
Dr Enki Tan called passing 500 km/h in an electric vehicle an industry game-changer and said Giti and Yangwang had together pushed beyond the limits of technology. Marc Basseng said that knowing every detail had been tested and prepared gave him the confidence to focus entirely on driving.
The Celebration in Dubai
Dr Tan received the official Guinness World Records certificate on 6 November during BYD’s “Celebration of Speed” event in Dubai. Giti’s announcement describes the venue as Burj Khalifa, while other reports place the event in the Burj Park area of Downtown Dubai.
What It Means for Everyday Drivers
You cannot buy the e.GTR2 Pro, and a record tyre says little about the tyres on your own car. Giti says the materials research, testing methods and precision behind projects like this feed into its wider tyre development, but that is a company statement and not something you can verify from the record alone. In the UAE’s heat, the basics matter much more than any record:
- Check tyre pressure regularly, when the tyres are cold
- Check the tread and look for cracks or bulges
- Check the date code on the sidewall, since old tyres can be unsafe even with good tread
If you are unsure, ask a tyre professional.
Giti in Regional Motorsport
Giti is also listed as the tyre supplier for the F4 Middle East and Formula Regional Middle East championships, which race at Yas Marina Circuit and Dubai Autodrome.
Final Thoughts
Records like this are usually credited to engines and aerodynamics, so it is good to see a tyre maker get its own moment. The tyre is the one component that cannot be allowed to fail at 500 km/h. Would you trust any tyre at that speed? Tell us in the comments.
