Xiaomi SU7 Ultra breaks Taycan GT’s electric Nurburgring record

China’s Xiaomi has shattered the Nürburgring lap record for electric production cars, as it promised to do. It has sent its hyper-powered SU7 Ultra saloon around the Green Hell almost three seconds quicker than the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.

The car produced by the smartphone giant features a combined output of 1139kW from its tri-motor set-up. Equipped with an optional track package, it looped the German track in 7min 4.957sec. That eclipses the Taycan GT’s 7min 7.55sec time.

The road-legal version of the SU7 Ultra is only 20sec shy of the time posted by the track-only prototype that Xiaomi created last year. British engineering firm Prodrive helped with its development.

With four-wheel drive, it can run 0-100 in just under 2.0sec, en route to a top of 331km/h, making it one of the fastest EVs available today. It’s on sale in China and exports to the West are being considered. 

Special motor

The SU7 Ultra uses Xiaomi’s HyperEngine V8S electric motor. It takes that name because it delivers power on a level similar to a petrol V8. Evidently, it spins to 27,200rpm.

Each of the rear-mounted V8S motors creates 425kW, while the front-mounted V6S motor is good for 289kW. This gives the SU7 Ultra 1139kW in total, a 644kW increase over the standard four-wheel drive SU7.

In contrast, the tri-motor Taycan Turbo GT delivers a combined 814kW.

The SU7 Ultra evidently gets to 200km/h in 5.86sec to the Taycan Turbo GT’s 6.4sec. The latter’s top speed is 275km/h and its 0-100 time is 2.3sec.

CATL supplies the SU7 Ultra with a Qilin 2.0 battery which has capacity of 94kWh. That gives it a claimed range of just over 600km.

Chassis updates

SU7 Ultra uses Bilstein Evo T1 dampers alongside other chassis updates which include an AP Racing brake system. Rotors up front are 430mm and 410mm on the back. They are carbon ceramic units. Six-pot calipers for the leading wheels are aided by single floating rear calipers.

Despite its pace, this isn’t the quickest SU7 Ultra around the Nurburgring. One with a carbon fibre body holds the lap record for a four-door saloon. It completed the circuit in 6min 46.874sec with British racer David Pittard at the wheel.

Xiaomi claims wet weight of under 2400kg for the SU7 Ultra.