The car features cutting-edge aerodynamics and a lightweight carbon-fiber structure, along with advanced battery technology from CATL.
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, which has now forayed into the electric vehicle segment, announced that its SU7 Ultra electric vehicle prototype set a remarkable lap time of 6 minutes and 46.874 seconds at Germany’s Nürburgring track. This makes it the fastest four-door car to conquer the circuit, positioning Xiaomi as a serious contender in the high-performance electric vehicle market, challenging rivals like Tesla and Porsche.
The SU7 Ultra is powered by a tri-motor setup delivering a staggering 1,548 horsepower. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 1.97 seconds, with a top speed exceeding 350 km/h. The car features cutting-edge aerodynamics and a lightweight carbon-fiber structure, along with advanced battery technology from CATL, ensuring high power output even under demanding conditions.
Stepping into the automobile world with loads of ambitions, the Chinese global firm has chosen the 20.8-kilometer Nürburgring Nordschleife—a track renowned for its challenging twists, elevation changes, and unforgiving corners—as the proving ground for its very first car. The Nürburgring, often referred to as “The Green Hell,” has long been the benchmark for automotive testing. Manufacturers from across the globe test their vehicles on the track to optimize handling, power delivery, and reliability under extreme conditions.
Rival Tesla’s Model S Plaid achieved a remarkable time of 7 minutes and 25.231 seconds on the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in 2023, solidifying its status as a high-performance electric vehicle. Meanwhile, Nio, a strong competitor in the electric vehicle market, established its own Nurburgring lap record with the ET9 in 2017.
Indeed, electric motors offer several advantages over gasoline engines when it comes to vehicle acceleration, making them particularly attractive for performance cars. Here are some key aspects of how electric motors have transformed the automotive industry, with Tesla and Chinese EV makers at the forefront.
Equipped with a powerful three-motor all-wheel-drive system that delivers an impressive 1,548 PS (1,140 kW), the Ultra variant can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 miles per hour) in just 1.97 seconds. According to Xiaomi, it can also achieve speeds of up to 350 km/h. The record Nurburgring lap was set on October 28, after rain forced an earlier attempt to be abandoned.
