1,527-horsepower Xiaomi SU7 Ultra takes aim at Porsche Taycan Turbo GT
Smartphone giant Xiaomi this week unveiled a prototype of a hardcore version of its first car, the SU7 electric sedan.
The new version, dubbed the SU7 Ultra, features a powertrain consisting of three motors with a combined output of 1,527 hp and a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 1.97 seconds and a top speed of 217 mph, according to company claims. Xiaomi aims to begin sales in 2025.
Development is underway, including at the Nürburgring racetrack in Germany, and Xiaomi has confirmed that an official lap time will be set in October.
The lap record for a production EV is 7:05.298 set by the 1,914 hp Rimac Nevela in 2023; Porsche's 1,092 hp production model, the Taycan Turbo GT, came close earlier this year with a time of 7:07.55, but to achieve it the rear seats had to be removed.
The SU7 Ultra is also significantly lighter, with many of its standard components replaced with carbon fiber, resulting in a weight reduction of approximately 1,100 lbs. The target weight for the production model is under 4,400 lbs.
High power and light weight are not the only factors driving the SU7 Ultra's potential to set a Nürburgring EV record. The car also features the ultimate aerodynamics package to achieve over 4,700 pounds of downforce.
The SU7 debuted late last year. The largest battery currently offered is a 101 kwh unit, but Xiaomi has indicated plans to offer larger battery options. These batteries will have capacities of approximately 132 kwh and 150 kwh, and could be found in the SU7 Ultra.
The regular SU7 is currently only available in China, with prices starting at about $30,000, or less than the retail price of the Tesla Model 3 in that market. Upgrading to a 664 hp dual-motor all-wheel-drive model would cost about $41,500. According to Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun in a March interview with CNBC, this steep pricing means that each unit sold is a loss, and the 2024 allotment was gone in about 24 hours after sales began.
