Xiaomi will put its hypercar into production/Xiaomi
Newcomer to the electric car market, Xiaomi, has confirmed that its flagship SU7 Ultra Prototype sports sedan will go into production. True, not everyone will be able to buy it.
If you want to get your hands on what could be the fastest four-door in the world, you'll have to pass the company's driving test first. This is written by the publication Drive.
For those who don't know, Xiaomi Corporation is a Beijing-based consumer electronics company. Xiaomi is known as the second largest smartphone maker in the world after Samsung, but its repertoire also includes software, home appliances and electric cars. However, the companyis aiming to steal the show in the automotive market with its new SU7.
The sports sedan, which mimics the styling of Porsche and the Tesla lineup, went on sale in China earlier this year. The base model offered by in three configurations (SU7, SU7 Pro and SU7 Max), equipped with a single-motor power plant with a capacity of 295 hp. and a range of 343 miles, while the twin-engine SU7 Max boasts 663 hp. and a range of 503 miles. However, the new addition to the lineup, dubbed the SU7 Ultra Prototype, is a track-oriented monster with 1,527 hp. and the declared acceleration time from 0 to 100 km/h in less than two seconds.
According to current specifications, the SU7 Ultra Prototype has more power than the Bugatti Chiron, and is lighter than the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and Tesla Model S Plaid, the owners of the fastest Nürburgring lap times. Porsche dethroned Tesla earlier this year, and Xiaomi wants to take that crown.
Price hasn't been announced, but it's expected to be order books will open in the first quarter of 2025. Also, according to Carscoops, one of the conditions of ownership is to pass a vehicle-specific test, although there is no word yet on what that will entail. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun only said that it will be a “step-by-step test to reveal the car”.
Honestly, it sounds like a smart move. Too many cars – sports, super, hyper – have been crashed, burned and destroyed by a terrible cocktail of ego and keys. Anything with, say, 500+ hp should be mandatory in driving school, especially since high power no longer has a six-figure minimum.
For example, a 500-hp Ford Mustang The Dark Horse starts at $60,635. The equally powerful Tesla Model 3 Performance currently costs $54,990. Xiaomi SU7 Max starts at 299,900 Chinese yuan ($42,000). Even if the three-motor SU7 Ultra Prototype costs twice as much, it will still be a very good buy.