Yesterday

Xiaomi SU7 Ultra prototype sets absurd 'ring lap

How absurd? Well, it's faster than an AMG One, an Evija, and every Porsche bar a 919 Hybrid...

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Now, it wouldn’t be a Nordschleife record without just a little bit of confusion. So if we’re all sitting comfortably, let’s explain why this Xiaomi SU7 Ultra lap time - a frankly absurd 6:22.091 - is a bit different to the last Xiaomi SU7 Ultra lap time we wrote about, which ambled around in a very pedestrian (by comparison) 7:04.957. 

It’s because this lap marked the return of the SU7 Ultra prototype, a car which you might recall from its 6:46 lap at the end of last year. To all intents and purposes, this is the same vehicle, only now it’s gone an astonishing 24 seconds faster around the 20-kilometre lap. In less than six months (the original lap was October, this one April), the EV has improved its lap time by nearly half a minute. Quite how that’s been achieved isn’t clear; Xiaomi, in quite nonchalant and cool fashion, has published the video of a sub-6:30 lap, claimed a prototype vehicle lap record again, and left it at that. There isn’t any detail yet on what’s changed from 2024 to 2025.

Watching the laps side by side (because we’re sad like that) doesn’t seem to show much difference in acceleration - when your brain can keep up - however the really fast sections of the Nordschleife do show the new car recording substantially higher speeds. Maybe this is an aerodynamic change, or an upgrade on the 1,548hp that can only really make its presence felt right at the top end. Probably both have changed to slash the time by such an amount (or the Xiaomi team was really taking it easy beforehand). 

That never seemed to be the case, though, and it definitely isn’t now. Whatever the powertrain, a car capable of this speed is going to be a demanding experience, and the acceleration only really lets up slightly beyond 155mph. Check out the little 180mph wobble at three minutes (so already halfway around!) if you think EV laps are a bit dull. Cornering speeds that are actually quite fast are made to look pedestrian because of the phenomenal rate it accrues velocity between them. The track looks narrower, the barriers closer and the danger even greater because it’s just so ruddy fast. It’ll be fascinating to hear what Xiaomi says has changed for this prototype. What on earth are they going to do next…

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• Xiaomi SU7 Ultra beats Taycan Turbo GT ‘ring time
  
• 2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT | UK Review

[SR]

That is seriously impressive driving and a seriously impressive car. No desire to own anything electric as a fun car but give them another year or two and we’ll be looking at sub 6 minutes!

[Repent]

Im sure someone will come along as explain, or make a case, for why it isnt, but this is a bit embarrassing for the entire establishment. Certainly to Rimac, but that Porsche didnt get to these speeds first as a Teutonic titan with this well known stretch of tarmac on their doorstep and billions invested in electronic tech seems even worse. This had to be a Taycan doing this for them, surely?

Insanely impressive, well done Xiaomi Team. China continues to forge and earn its position in the car world.

[Sion111R]

Wow! That’s so quick and planted. The video is mesmerising and it makes the ring look “simple”.

[kambites]

I don't really see the point in setting 'ring lap records in road cars... but there's no denying that's mighty impressive. Not so much for the raw pace as the composure, especially given that they're so new to the whole "making cars" thing.

[The Pistonsdead]

Sion111R said:

Wow! That s so quick and planted. The video is mesmerising and it makes the ring look simple .

Agreed! Mental but controlled

[CG2020UK]

That’s bloody impressive and terrifying at the same time.

Think I’d rather try and survive 6min with Tom Aspinall than be a passenger

Respect to the driver he must struggle to sit.

[130R]

Repent said:

Im sure someone will come along as explain, or make a case, for why it isnt, but this is a bit embarrassing for the entire establishment. Certainly to Rimac, but that Porsche didnt get to these speeds first as a Teutonic titan with this well known stretch of tarmac on their doorstep and billions invested in electronic tech seems even worse. This had to be a Taycan doing this for them, surely?

This isn't a road legal car. It's a stripped out prototype race car running on slicks

[andy43]

Sounds like fun

[Justin-ow582]

130R said:

Repent said:

Im sure someone will come along as explain, or make a case, for why it isnt, but this is a bit embarrassing for the entire establishment. Certainly to Rimac, but that Porsche didnt get to these speeds first as a Teutonic titan with this well known stretch of tarmac on their doorstep and billions invested in electronic tech seems even worse. This had to be a Taycan doing this for them, surely?

This isn't a road legal car. It's a stripped out prototype race car running on slicks

Yes, but they're not hiding that, it's called an Xiaomi SU7 Ultra prototype

[Repent]

Justin-ow582 said:

Yes, but they're not hiding that, it's called an Xiaomi SU7 Ultra prototype

Exactly, and its still a chassis based on a road car.

If Porsche can make this (https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-driven/2025-porsche-taycan-turbo-gt--uk-review/49862), this is a raining on their hard earned, but oh so high and mighty parade. And on home turf.

Edited by Repent on Thursday 26th June 18:28

[Kawasicki]

Great driving, great engineering.

[Alorotom]

Wow, talk about rocking the apple cart!

Impressive time and even more impressive driving skills - examples like this should have the established brands worried.

[MDL111]

Repent said:

Justin-ow582 said:

Yes, but they're not hiding that, it's called an Xiaomi SU7 Ultra prototype

Exactly, and its still a chassis based on a road car.

If Porsche can make this (https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-driven/2025-porsche-taycan-turbo-gt--uk-review/49862), this is a raining on their hard earned, but oh so high and mighty parade. And on home turf.

Edited by Repent on Thursday 26th June 18:28

it is an impressive lap, but why would Porsche compete with that? It is effectively a prototype vehicle without an interior on slicks, so not a comparison to a Taycan. They could throw out the interior and turn up the motors and put one on slicks and it would probably be quite fast too for one lap.

Porsche showed 7 years ago how fast they can go in a prototype on slicks - 5:19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQmSUHhP3ug

[GT9]

Faster than the Evija X which weighs several hundred kilos less and with a lot more power ( and seemingly too much downforce).
Impressive is an understatement.

[kambites]

GT9 said:

Faster than the Evija X which weighs several hundred kilos less and with a lot more power ( and seemingly too much downforce).
Impressive is an understatement.

To be fair, the Lotus was 2 seconds slower on a damp track. I don't think they ever ran it in the dry.

That's not to take anything away from this though!

[GT9]

kambites said:

To be fair, the Lotus was 2 seconds slower on a damp track. I don't think they ever ran it in the dry.

That's not to take anything away from this though!

Fair point, the end of October is not really the time to be setting records.

[Repent]

MDL111 said:

it is an impressive lap, but why would Porsche compete with that? It is effectively a prototype vehicle without an interior on slicks, so not a comparison to a Taycan. They could throw out the interior and turn up the motors and put one on slicks and it would probably be quite fast too for one lap.

Porsche showed 7 years ago how fast they can go in a prototype on slicks - 5:19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQmSUHhP3ug

Its the ultimate (marketing driven, performance focussed) version of an electric executive saloon, the Taycan is the pinnacle of that marketplace.

Totally agree Xiaomi arent likely to come out with a successful LMP car anytime soon, and are even less likely to tout close to a century of engineering prowess and prestige. But a mobile phone manufacturer conceived in 2010 as you say just threw out the interior, put some slicks and rose joints on, turned the motors up and put an incredible lap time down in Germany, in a place Porsche regularly makes a name for itself.

To me thats quite a statement.

Edited by Repent on Thursday 26th June 21:00

[kambites]

Repent said:

Its the ultimate (marketing driven, performance focussed) version of an electric executive saloon, the Taycan is the pinnacle of that marketplace.

It's a prototype based on an electric executive saloon. As referenced in the article, they did run the road car around the 'ring and it did it in 7:05, which is still mighty impressive and is still faster than the fastest Taycan... but isn't 6:22! I can believe that the slicks alone are worth half a minute.

This thing isn't impressive because it's faster than road car, it damned well should be faster than road cars. It's impressive because it's one of the fastest 'ring laps ever in any sort of car. Bettered (as far as I know) only by a couple of dedicated endurance racers and a one-off special built to break the Pikes Peak record.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 26th June 21:11

[MDL111]

Repent said:

MDL111 said:

it is an impressive lap, but why would Porsche compete with that? It is effectively a prototype vehicle without an interior on slicks, so not a comparison to a Taycan. They could throw out the interior and turn up the motors and put one on slicks and it would probably be quite fast too for one lap.

Porsche showed 7 years ago how fast they can go in a prototype on slicks - 5:19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQmSUHhP3ug

Its the ultimate (marketing driven, performance focussed) version of an electric executive saloon, the Taycan is the pinnacle of that marketplace.

Totally agree Xiaomi arent likely to come out with a successful LMP car anytime soon, and are even less likely to tout close to a century of engineering prowess and prestige. But a mobile phone manufacturer conceived in 2010 as you say just threw out the interior, put some slicks and rose joints on, turned the motors up and put an incredible lap time down in Germany, in a place Porsche regularly makes a name for itself.

To me thats quite a statement.

Edited by Repent on Thursday 26th June 21:00

Fully agree that it is very impressive. I just found the comparison of this particular lap to a road legal standard Taycan GT (or whatever it is called) rather pointless. This one is more like a GT3 car (with three times the power) than a road car.
Porsche mostly made a name for itself because the 911s performed on par or even outperformed cars with (sometimes much) higher power outputs and because their performance was - relatively speaking - quite repeatable (usually not one lap ponies, like some other cars).

[georgeyboy12345]

So much for EV’s only being good in a straight line.