Xiaomi SU7 gatecrashes the Nurburgring elite with a 6:22 lap

The world of high-performance electric cars has a new and serious contender. Xiaomi has muscled its way into the upper echelons of automotive royalty. A prototype version of its SU7 Ultra electric sedan has recorded a stunning 6:22.091 lap time at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, placing it third on the all-time leaderboard for the historic German track.

This achievement was announced at Xiaomi's "Human-Car-Home" where the company finally unveiled the YU7 electric SUV. The Nürburgring, a punishing 20.832-kilometer ribbon of tarmac with 177 corners and a dramatic 304 meters of elevation change, is universally regarded as the ultimate proving ground for a vehicle's all-around capability.

As Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun noted, a car's performance here is a direct reflection of its engineering prowess, testing everything from raw power and aerodynamics to handling precision and the ability to manage extreme heat.

The record-setting car is a prototype version of the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra Nürburgring Limited Track Edition. This special model, limited to a global production run of just 100 units, is a road-legal track weapon. Priced at RMB 814,900, which translates to approximately $113,500, it's a serious machine for serious drivers.

For that price, owners get a vehicle with factory-installed performance upgrades. These include a carbon fiber dual-channel hood, a fixed carbon rear wing for increased downforce, and aerodynamic underbody panels. Inside, the focus on performance continues with racing-grade carbon fiber bucket seats, a six-point harness, and a steel half-roll cage.

The heart of this electric beast is a tri-motor powertrain that delivers 1,548 horsepower. This immense power, generated by two rear-mounted motors and one front-mounted motor, rockets the SU7 Ultra from 0 to 62 mph in 1.98 seconds. The car continues to pull hard all the way to a top speed of 217 mph. Providing the necessary energy is a 93.7 kWh Qilin II battery from CATL, which operates on an advanced 897-volt architecture. Despite its incredible performance, the car still has a CLTC-rated range of up to 391 miles.

If you miss out on the ultra-exclusive Nurburgring Limited Edition, Xiaomi offers a "Track Professional Package" for the standard SU7 Ultra. This package, priced at RMB 100,000 (about $13,880), includes many of the performance-enhancing features of the limited edition model, such as Bilstein EVO R coilovers and semi-slick Pirelli tires. Even the mass-production version of the SU7 Ultra is no slouch, having previously set a record for the fastest production electric sedan with a lap time of 7 minutes and 4.957 seconds.

The SU7 Ultra's performance has the automotive community talking. Some people remain skeptical of a smartphone company's entry into the world of electric cars, but the numbers on the Nürburgring leaderboard speak for themselves. An electric four-door family sedan from China that's faster than Rimac Nevera at a fraction of the price? You can bet that Mate Rimac is not sleeping well.

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