Xiaomi SU7 prototype shatters Porsche record at Nurburgring. But it's not official. Here's why

23 days ago | 5 Views

Xiaomi SU7 electric sportscar added yet another feather in its proverbial cap when a prototype version of the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra was raced at the highly-acclaimed Nurburgring track in Germany recently. The prototype version of the SU7 crushed the existing lap record held by Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. But the lap time will not hold.

The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra prototype reportedly clocked a lap time of 6 minutes and 48.874 seconds, significantly better than the 7 minutes and 7.55 seconds clocked by the Taycan Turbo GT. But because this was a prototype version, the lap time will not be held as an official record. Xiaomi is scheduled to test the production version of its SU7 Ultra at the same track at some point in time in 2025. Nonetheless, the recent run around Nurburgring adds weight to Xiaomi's claim of having the quickest car anywhere in the world.

The Xiaomi SU7 was launched in China earlier this year and has received largely positive response. The first-ever automobile from a company that is a leader in the consumer electronics market, the SU7 is manufactured by BAIC Off-road in Beijing under contract. And from the word go, Xiaomi has been underlining the performance capabilities of the SU7 - the abbreviations stand for Speed Ultra, will also putting the limelight on the mile-long list of features.

While there have been sporadic complaints of malfunctions reported by initial batch of customers in China, the SU7 has largely earned praise. Even Ford CEO Jim Farley recently revealed that he had a unit of SU7 imported into the US and that he has been driving it for the past six months. “I don't intend on giving it up."

What is the range and price of Xiaomi SU7?

At present, Xiaomi SU7 is only available in China and in three versions - SU7, SU7 Pro, and SU7 Max. There are three battery pack options - 73.6 kWh, 94.3 kWh and 101 kWh with a best-claimed range of up to 830 kms. But for someone opting for the current top-end SU7 Max version, the claimed range is at 800 kms owing to performance-related specifications. The base version of SU7 has a claimed range of up to 700 kms.

Watch: Xiaomi SU7 electric car makes India debut: Will the Tesla, BYD rival launch here?

The performance credentials of the Xiaomi SU7 also varies but the top-end SU7 Max is seriously capable with 670 bhp and 838 Nm of torque on offer. It is important to note here that the SU7 Ultra is looking at further bettering this figures.

But the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra is still some time away from production lines even though the company has been claiming it will manage to do 0 to 100 kmph in a fraction under two seconds.

For now, the SU7 has a base price of 215,900 yuan (approximately ₹25 lakhs) and goes up to 299,900 yuan (approximately ₹35 lakhs) in the Chinese market. The SU7 also made its India debut earlier this year but company officials here confirmed that there are no plans of a launch yet. At present, Xiaomi wants to consolidate its presence in the Chinese automobile market and will eventually focus on select global markets based on factors such as local demand and production capabilities.

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