Xiaomi SU7 Is the Latest Challenger to the Porsche Taycan's Nürburgring Record

The EV performance sedan market has been mostly a two-horse race until now, with Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S regularly exchanging the title of the fastest production EV on the Nürburgring. Porsche is the latest to win the trophy, thanks to the 7:07.551 time accomplished by the Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package. The title is still contested because the record vehicle was no regular model, having been stripped of its rear bench and other parts.

Tesla is undoubtedly keen on snatching the crown from Porsche, but it will soon have another competitor on the Green Hell. Xiaomi, the smartphone market that nobody saw coming as a carmaker, is fine-tuning its SU7 sedan on the Nürburgring with the clear goal of making a statement. Some would say that the simple fact that the car was spotted lapping the Nordschleife is already a strong statement. This means Xiaomi plans a European debut soon, right on Porsche's turf.

The Xiaomi SU7 launched in March with impressive specifications, but everyone talked about its resemblance to the Porsche Taycan. Indeed, the two models share a lot of design cues, showing that Xiaomi appreciated Porsche's design very much. It seems that Xiaomi wants more than just looks, as it's coming after Taycan's Nürburgring record, too. That requires a much more powerful variant than the 663-horsepower SU7 Max, which is now the top model.

The prototype in the gallery sports a fixed rear wing instead of the retractable spoiler of the SU7 Max, hinting at a more hardcore variant of the Chinese model. A similar aerodynamic enhancement is visible up front in the form of a small chin spoiler installed under the front bumper. I expect the suspension was upgraded, too, with a stiffer setup and possibly reinforced bushings.

Undoubtedly, if Xiaomi is serious about beating Taycan's record, we're looking at a more than 1,000-horsepower powertrain. This should drop the 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) time from the current 2.78 seconds to under 2.5 seconds. For reference, the Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package needs 2.2 seconds, while the Tesla Model S Plaid only needs 2.1 seconds, albeit with rollout subtracted.

It's unclear whether this requires a tri-motor configuration (The SU7 Max has two motors), but we'll find out soon enough. Another big unknown is whether Xiaomi removed the rear bench from this record prototype. The rear windows are all blacked out, making it impossible to see inside.