Xiaomi’s SU7 Ultra Sets New Nürburgring Record, Outpaces Porsche Taycan Turbo GT
Warp-speed super-saloon goes around the Nordschleife faster than the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT
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.
In a departure from milder versions of the SU7, the range-topping SU7 Ultra adopts Bilstein Evo T1 dampers alongside other chassis changes.
Reining in the SU7 Ultra’s towering performance is an AP Racing brake system. Departing from the Brembo-developed system seen on other SU7 models, it combines 430mm front and 410mm rear carbon ceramic discs with six-pot front and single floating rear calipers.
A prototype version of the SU7 Ultra, featuring a carbonfibre body among other unique developments, has set an officially recognised lap record for four-door saloons at the Nürburgring, achieving a time of 6min 46.874sec in the hands of British racer David Pittard.
The production version features a less extravagant aerodynamic and cooling package than the prototype, with a smaller front splitter, an altered bonnet and a milder-looking carbonfibre rear wing in combination with an active diffuser that tilts through an angle of 16deg for added downforce.
All up, Xiaomi claims 285kg of downforce at the SU7 Ultra’s 207mph top speed.
The firm hasn't provided a definitive weight figure for its latest model but said it tips the scales at under 2400kg.
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Sail down the River Styx and straight to our guide of the fastest cars around the Green Hell
Holding a Nürburgring lap record is not just about bragging rights. Each of the 147 corners along the 13-mile course gives car makers unparalleled insight into where their machines work best, and where they must improve on.
Manufacturers spend years (if not decades) honing their cars around the Nordschleife in the hope of being crowned maker of one of the fastest cars in the world.
There is a caveat, however: the 'official' length of the lap was increased in 2019. Before this, all times were logged on a 12.8-mile circuit that effectively left out a short stretch of the T13 straight at the end of the lap.
Yet with so much emphasis being placed on setting a fast time, the Nürburgring decided that only the whole 12.944 miles would count.
The fastest car to lap the Nürburgring is the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, with a time of 5:15:55 minutes.
Below we've divided the lap records between several different types of cars. Keep reading to see the quickest lap times in all the major categories.
The Nürburgring lap record
Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo
Lap time: 5:19:546
When Porsche derestricted its Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid prototype racer and sent it on a farewell tour of iconic race tracks before pulling out of endurance racing, smashing the all-time fastest lap of the Nordschleife was all the firm had in mind.
The car was 39kg lighter than its race spec, with radically reworked aerodynamics that improved downforce by 53%. The 2.0-litre V4 hybrid powertrain was tuned to produce 710bhp, with an additional 433bhp coming from an electric motor.
With Porsche works driver Timo Bernhard behind the wheel, the 919 Evo proceded to obliterate the all-time lap record, first setting a 5:24:375 in practice and then a 5:19:546 in an official run.
The Nürburgring electric lap record
Volkswagen ID R
Lap time: 6:05:33
It's a real achievement that Volkswagen has not only managed to claim the fastest lap time in an electric car with its ID R programme, but also place among the fastest-ever recorded.
The car has subsequently gone on to set records at the Goodwood Festival of Speed hillclimb and China's Tianmen Shan Big Gate Road, while the technology it pioneered will go on to influence R division's electric cars.
The Nürburgring electric production car lap record
Xiaomi SU7 Ultra
Lap time: 7:04:957
Chinese newcomer Xiaomi has leapt to the forefront of the electric production car rankings with the SU7 Ultra.
This ludicrously powerful sports saloon displaced the previous record holder - the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT - by smashing its time by almost three seconds.
Powered by a bustling 1527bhp tri-motor powertrain, the road-legal SU7 Ultra rounded the famous track in 7:04:957. It's currently one of the fastest EVs in the world.
The Nürburgring front-wheel-drive lap record
Honda Civic Type R
Lap time: 7:44:88
Honda is no stranger to Nürburgring records: every iteration of the Civic Type R released over the past decade has at one point held the front-wheel-drive record.
The new FL5-generation car was fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect tyres for its run, giving it the extra grip needed to dethrone the Renault Mégane RS Trophy-R.
The fastest Nürburgring lap times by production cars
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Apple CarPlay Ultra dramatically expands the amount of screen space that the Apple interface can occupy, entering the car's instrument display as well as its infotainment screen.
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Sail down the River Styx and straight to our guide of the fastest cars around the Green Hell
Holding a Nürburgring lap record is not just about bragging rights. Each of the 147 corners along the 13-mile course gives car makers unparalleled insight into where their machines work best, and where they must improve on.
Manufacturers spend years (if not decades) honing their cars around the Nordschleife in the hope of being crowned maker of one of the fastest cars in the world.
There is a caveat, however: the 'official' length of the lap was increased in 2019. Before this, all times were logged on a 12.8-mile circuit that effectively left out a short stretch of the T13 straight at the end of the lap.
Yet with so much emphasis being placed on setting a fast time, the Nürburgring decided that only the whole 12.944 miles would count.
The fastest car to lap the Nürburgring is the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, with a time of 5:15:55 minutes.
Below we've divided the lap records between several different types of cars. Keep reading to see the quickest lap times in all the major categories.
The Nürburgring lap record
Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo
Lap time: 5:19:546
When Porsche derestricted its Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid prototype racer and sent it on a farewell tour of iconic race tracks before pulling out of endurance racing, smashing the all-time fastest lap of the Nordschleife was all the firm had in mind.
The car was 39kg lighter than its race spec, with radically reworked aerodynamics that improved downforce by 53%. The 2.0-litre V4 hybrid powertrain was tuned to produce 710bhp, with an additional 433bhp coming from an electric motor.
With Porsche works driver Timo Bernhard behind the wheel, the 919 Evo proceded to obliterate the all-time lap record, first setting a 5:24:375 in practice and then a 5:19:546 in an official run.
The Nürburgring electric lap record
Volkswagen ID R
Lap time: 6:05:33
It's a real achievement that Volkswagen has not only managed to claim the fastest lap time in an electric car with its ID R programme, but also place among the fastest-ever recorded.
The car has subsequently gone on to set records at the Goodwood Festival of Speed hillclimb and China's Tianmen Shan Big Gate Road, while the technology it pioneered will go on to influence R division's electric cars.
The Nürburgring electric production car lap record
Xiaomi SU7
Lap time: 7:04:957
Chinese newcomer Xiaomi has leapt to the forefront of the electric production car rankings with the SU7. The ludicrously powerful sports saloon displaced the previous record holder - the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT - by smashing its German counterpart's time by almost three seconds.
Powered by a bustling 1527bhp, tri-motor powertrain, the road-legal SU7 rounded the famous track in 7:04:957. It's currently one of the fastest electric cars in the world.
The Nürburgring front-wheel-drive lap record
Honda Civic Type R
Lap time: 7:44:88
Honda is no stranger to Nürburgring records: every iteration of the Civic Type R released over the past decade has at one point held the front-wheel-drive record.
The new FL5-generation car was fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect tyres for its run, giving it the extra grip needed to dethrone the Renault Mégane RS Trophy-R.
The fastest Nürburgring lap times by production cars
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