Earlier this week, information out of China revealed that the new YangWang U9 Track Edition will be capable of producing a combined 2,977 hp. If true, that would eclipse the new Rimac Nevera R by 870 horsepower, but Mate Rimac has thrown cold water on the idea that the U9 will have this much power, suggesting it could have been “wrongly advertised” or “interpreted.”

Read: This YangWang Comes With Three Times The Power Of A Bugatti Veyron

In a comment on the Apex Automotor Facebook group, Rimac pointed out that “most Chinese EVs use LFP cells, I doubt that any of them can deliver 20+C discharge rates (even for 1 second) that would be needed to deliver 2+ Megawatts of power.”

Battery limitations

Rimac went on to add that the Nevera R packs “the latest and greatest in performance battery cell technology,” and it is limited to roughly 1.5 megawatts of power, or exactly 2,107 hp. He explained that while the battery can provide more power, the motors and inverters are at their limits. In his view, the system will “probably do 2 MW for a couple of seconds,” but not without beefing up the rest of the powertrain.

Then there’s the matter of tires. The Nevera R is “already above the traction limit of the highest performance road tires on the market until 100 mph,” Rimac added, meaning that if the YangWang U9 Track Edition had almost 1,000 hp more, “it would probably not be able to put the power down until 150+ mph.”

He also stressed that peak power is just a number and that it’s more important “how that power is delivered and sustained.”

Official specifications

Data released by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) claims that each of the four electric motors of the BYD YangWang U9 Track Edition delivers 744 hp or 555 kW, resulting in a combined 2,977 hp. That said, there’s no confirmation that all four motors can operate at peak output simultaneously in real-world driving.

Rimac and world records go together like jelly and peanut butter. Two years after the Nevera set 23 performance records in a single day, the Croatian brand has outdone itself yet again, this time setting world records in 24 categories with the Nevera R. Th flagship version of the all-electric hypercar was unveiled last year with more power and aero and less weight.

Read: 1,989 HP Rimac Nevera R Is Harder, Faster, Lighter And Limited To 40 Units

Perhaps the most important record of all was the sprint to 0-400-0 km/h (0-249-0 mph). The original Nevera had held this record at 29.93 seconds, snatching it away from the Koenigsegg Agera RS that set a time of 31.49 seconds back in 2019. However, last year, the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut snatched this record away from the Nevera, setting a time of 27.83 seconds.

Nevera R Takes the Crown Back

Now, the Nevera R is the 0-400-0 km/h king with a blistering time of 25.79 seconds. That’s 2.04 seconds quicker than the Jesko and beats the standard Nevera by 4.14 seconds. Additionally, the R beat out the Nevera’s 0-60 mph (96 km/h) time of 1.74 seconds, completing the sprint in 1.66 seconds and 100 km/h (62 mph) in 1.72 seconds.

The records don’t stop there. The Nevera R ran from 0-100 mph (160 km/h) in 2.96 seconds, an improvement of 0.25 seconds, 0-200 km/h (124 mph) in 3.95 seconds, (0.47 seconds faster), and did the 0-300 km/h (0-186 mph) run in just 7.89 seconds, or 1.33 seconds quicker than before. It also takes the Nevera R just 17.35 seconds to run from 0-400 km/h (0-250 mph), which is a massive 3.96 seconds quicker than the standard car.

Rimac’s new Nevera R also set a new EV top speed record, hitting an impressive 268.2 mph or 431.45 km/h.

Where the Extra Speed Comes From

Whereas the standard model delivers 1,888 hp from its four electric motors, the Nevera R ups that to 1,989 hp. It also weighs 35 kg (77 lbs) less, comes standard with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, and produces 15 percent more downforce thanks in part to a large rear wing.

“When we first introduced Nevera it almost seemed like the pinnacle of hypercar performance had been reached,” Mate Rimac said. “In a single generation, we had created a performance jump that previously would have taken decades. But now, through relentless innovation, Nevera R goes even faster, while still maintaining much of the comfort and practicality that makes the Nevera a real, useable daily car.”