As a handy demonstration of the pace at which the Chinese car industry is moving, smartphone giant Xiaomi has only been building cars for around a year and a half, but already, its performance saloon, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, is a Nürburgring lap record holder.
More specifically, it’s the fastest production-spec electric car around the Nordschleife with its 7:04.957 run around the 12.9-mile circuit in the hands of Belgian racer Vincent Radermecker. That’s not only around 2.5 seconds faster than perhaps the SU7 Ultra’s biggest rival, the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, but even knocks the Rimac Nevera off its perch as fastest EV by over three tenths of a second.
Keen ’Ring enthusiasts will have doubtless noted that this isn’t the first time the SU7 Ultra has been around the track. Last year, one managed an even more impressive 6:46.874, but that was a prototype equipped with racing slicks, more extreme aero and some weight reduction measures, so its lap time was unofficial.
The one that’s set the lap that’s been officially recognised by the Nürburgring’s timekeepers is the production-spec car. Like that prototype, it features a triple-motor setup, with two power units on the rear axle and a third on the front. All in, they deliver a peak of 1527bhp.
The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra following its Nürburgring lap
Xiaomi’s numbers put the 0-62mph time at a staggering 2.0 seconds flat, and the top speed at up to 217mph. The record-setting car was equipped with the optional Track Package. That throws in adjustable Bilstein coilovers, racy Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tyres, race-spec Endless brake pads on top of the standard carbon ceramic discs and 21-inch forged wheels.
The SU7 Ultra is already on sale in China, with pricing starting at 529,900 Yuan – that’s a mere £54,500-ish. It sounds like the ultimate price-to-performance ratio, then, although if it makes to markets outside of its native China (which it might do), that price will inevitably go up a bit.
Xiaomi SU7 Ultra – front
If it does come to Europe, having a Nürburgring lap record to its name is a surefire way of getting a few more eyes on this nascent brand. And if you fancy having a go at going even faster yourself, you’ll soon be able to, because the SU7 Ultra is heading to Gran Turismo 7.
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