Xiaomi SU7 Ultra is a 1,500bhp Taycan-crushing hyper saloon
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has set its sights on creating one of the world’s fastest EVs with a new 1,527bhp electric hyper saloon.
The SU7 Ultra is a wildly-tuned version of the firm’s first EV – the SU7 saloon – and is intended to challenge for the EV lap record on the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife.
Later this year a prototype model will aim to steal the overall EV record from the Volkswagen ID R, which lapped the 13-mile track in 6 minutes 5.336 seconds. It’s not clear whether a production model will follow but if it did, it would undoubtedly be gunning for the 7 minute, 5 second record set by the 1,093bhp Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.
The SU7 Ultra more than doubles the power of the regular SU7, which already offers more than 630bhp in its most potent form. The Ultra uses a three-motor setup with an uprated version of Xiamoi’s ‘V6’ motor driving the front wheels and two ‘V8’ electric motors mounted at the rear axle, providing a total of 1,527bhp.
That’s more than 430bhp more than the brutal Taycan Turbo GT and puts it among the most powerful EVs in the world. Xiaomi claims the SU7 Ultra should be able to cover the 0-62mph run in just 1.97 seconds and hit a top speed of 217mph. If realised, such performance would put the SU7 alongside cars from Rimac, Pininfarina and Aspark in the list of the world’s fastest EVs.
The high-performance model features a carbon fibre body body and aero kit which reportedly generates more than 2,000kg of downforce. It’s also fitted with six-piston AP brakes and super-sticky Pirelli P Zero tyres to help it challenge for lap records.
The standard SU7 was launched in the firm’s native China earlier this year priced at the equivalent of £23,000 as a rival to the Tesla Model 3 and within the first month had received more than 75,000 orders. It’s not clear yet whether it will be coming to the UK or the wider European market.
