Xiaomi, the Chinese corporation that’s also the world’s second-largest manufacturer of smartphones, is boldly going where no other automobile company has gone before — performance locked behind skill tests! Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has stated that customers will have to go through a “step-by-step exam” before being allowed to access the company’s latest Xiaomi SU7 Ultra’s full performance, though it’s not yet known what exactly the company means by that.
It’s especially bold, considering the SU7 electric sedan is the Xiaomi Auto’s first stab at a car, leave alone a 1,527 horsepower electric sedan that manages the 0-62mph dash in just 1.97 seconds and has a top speed of over 217mph. With those momentous performance figures coming in via a trio of electric motors, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra is gunning for outright production-EV supremacy at the Nordschleife, Nurburgring. For that, it’ll have to topple the 7:07.55 lap time set by the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that the SU7 Ultra may sound like an extension of the smartphone maker’s main interests in consumer electronics. This track-focused special packs some serious hardware as upgrades over the standard SU7 electric sedan. This includes a new trio of electric motors, a new track-tested battery pack, a wider body, lightweight wheels, and a slew of aero upgrades.
The upgrades give it up to 4,729 lbs of downforce at 217mph! That’s more downforce than a modern Formula 1 car can manage at similar speeds. Of course, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra needs it, considering it weighs in at 1,900 pounds, or over double what an F1 car weighs. Compared to its competition, like the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, the SU7 Ultra is lightweight: it’s over 1,000 pounds lighter than it.
While other hypercar-makers have been known to limit the full performance of their maddest machines, accessible via special “track-only” keys (like with the Bugatti Chiron), it’s the first time anyone’s locked performance behind driving tests. It makes sense given the performance on tap, but will it turn people away, or make them want the SU7 Ultra more? Only time will tell.
