China’s Xiaomi has shattered the Nürburgring lap record for electric production cars, sending its mega-powered SU7 Ultra saloon around the Green Hell almost three seconds quicker than the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.
The smartphone giant’s 1527bhp tri-motor super-saloon, equipped with an optional track package, went around the German track in 7min 4.957sec – outpacing the hottest Taycan’s 7min 7.55sec time.
The road-legal version of the SU7 Ultra was only around 20sec slower than the extreme track-only prototype that Xiaomi created last year with support from British engineering firm Prodrive.
With four-wheel drive, it can hit 62mph in 1.98sec and go all the way to 207mph, making it one of the fastest EVs currently on sale anywhere in the world.
Customer deliveries in China started earlier this year, and exports haven’t been ruled out.
The SU7 Ultra is the first recipient of Xiaomi’s HyperEngine V8S electric motor – so named because it has been conceived to deliver power on a level similar to that of a modern-day petrol V8. It’s claimed to rev to 27,200rpm.
Each of the rear-mounted V8S motors delivers 570bhp, while the front-mounted V6S motor develops 387bhp. This gives the SU7 Ultra a combined 1527bhp, representing an 863bhp increase over the existing four-wheel-drive SU7.
By comparison, the tri-motor Taycan Turbo GT delivers a combined 1092bhp.
The SU7 Ultra is claimed to accelerate from 0-62 mph in just 1.98sec and 0-124mph in 5.86sec and reach a top speed limited to 207mph. The Taycan Turbo GT delivers respective figures of 2.3sec, 6.4sec and 172mph.
The SU7 Ultra is based on Xiaomi’s Modena EV platform and proprietary 800V electrical architecture, in combination with a CATL Qilin 2.0 battery with an energy capacity of 93.7kWh.
Maximum range on the Chinese CLTC test cycle is quoted at 385 miles.
