Xiaomi SU7 Ultra prototype becomes fastest four-door car at Nürburgring

Xiaomi Auto announced that its SU7 Ultra prototype reached a 6:46.874 lap time at Nürburgring Nordschleife, making it the world's fastest four-door car on the track. That's faster than Porsche Taycan Turbo GT's time of 7:07:55.

Completing the Nürburgring challenge wasn't easy for Xiaomi Auto. The company booked the track for Jan 9 and Oct 10. However, on Oct 9, it rained all day, and on Oct 10, there were multiple sudden showers.

On Oct 17 Nürburgring officials coordinated another try for Xiaomi, but it failed again due to heavy rain. On Oct 21, Xiaomi borrowed time between charted venues, but it failed again for unspecified reasons.

Finally, on Oct 24, Nürburgring officials managed a 1-hour window between 11:00 – 12:00 on 28th Oct.

Track surveying finished at 11:30 a.m. when tires were loaded, and debugging was carried out. At 11:50 a.m., Xiaomi SU7 took off and crossed the finish line at 11:56:46.874 a.m. In the evening, at 7:50 p.m., Nürburgring officials confirmed the lap time of Xiaomi SU7, Xiaomi says.

Xiaomi Auto will unveil the production model of the SU7 Ultra later today. "Its debut marks not only an outstanding feat but also the start of an exciting new chapter," commented the company's founder and CEO, Lei Jun.

The SU7 Ultra prototype was first announced during Lei Jun's annual address in Jul. He described it as a track-ready, high-performance version of the SU7 sedan.

The SU7 Ultra production version is expected to cost about 800,000 yuan (112,000 USD).

Equipped with Xiaomi's V8s motor, which generates 1138 kW (1526 hp) at a peak speed of 27,200 rpm, the SU7 Ultra prototype demonstrates serious speed. It reaches 100 km/h in just 1.97 seconds and 200 km/h in under six seconds, with a top speed exceeding 350 km/h. The curb weight is supposed to be 1,900 kg.

David Pittard, who recently won the 2023 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, was behind the wheel. At its event today, Xiaomi will reveal more about the SU7 Ultra's production version, which is set to launch in the first half of 2025.

According to Lei, the production model will retain the prototype's core structure, triple-motor setup, and battery configuration. It is important to note that the Nürburgring time of SU7 belongs to the prototype, not the mass production version.

The prototype appears to have a fully stripped-out interior and roll cage. This means it's lighter and stiffer than the actual road-going model, which will be slightly slower around a track. Manufacturers are known to do this when they set out to break Nurburgring records, so it's no surprise that Xiaomi's record breaker is tweaked to get the most possible out of it.

One of the big changes between the record-breaking prototype and the actual production model (expected to be revealed next year) is that it won't feature the former's full carbon fiber body, so it will be slightly heavier as a result. Having a full interior will drive the weight up further, so it will be much closer to the Taycan Turbo GT in terms of lap times.