TOP SPEED
Inside world’s ‘fastest’ four-door car driven by British racing legend after prototype motor breaks new record
Porsche are looking over their shoulder after an up-and-coming Chinese car maker stole their title
CHINESE EV maker Xiaomi have built the world's fastest four-door car - and it's well on its way to beating an official record.
The up-and-coming car brand's SU7 Ultra prototype recently recorded a super lap around the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit located in Nurburg, Germany, and beat a previous time set by Porsche in the process.
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Chinese electronics brand Xiaomi, known for their range of smartphones and electronics, entered the bold world of EVs back in March with its Speed Ultra 7, or SU7.
Then, in July, the ambitious brand showed off the SU7 Ultra - a high-performance electric saloon with a top speed of 217mph and more power than a Bugatti Chiron, according to .
The brand promises to launch a production version in 2025, as part of their giant plans to become one of the world's leading automakers.
Part of that plan includes producing the fastest four-door EV - to firmly put German marque Porsche in their place.
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Porsche have held the record with a time of 7 minutes and 7.55 seconds - set by the Taycan Turbo GT - which officially still stands, as the Xiaomi effort beat it using a prototype.
Xiaomi's prototype - which achieved a time of 6 minutes and 48.874 seconds - was merely a stripped-down version, without a proper dashboard and a racing steering wheel, and was generally far from a production-ready car.
Driven by British racer David Pittard, who recently won the 2023 24 Hours of the Nurburgring, the car even suffered a mishap mid-lap, when the accelerator pedal temporarily failed.
What is the Nurburgring Nordschleife?
The Nurburgring Nordschleife, often called "The Green Hell," is a renowned circuit in Germany. Opened in 1927, it features a challenging 20.8 km (12.9 mi) layout with 154 turns, winding through the Eifel mountains.
Initially built as a test and racing track, it has hosted numerous iconic races over the years, including the German Grand Prix. Today, it remains a legendary venue for motorsport events, manufacturer testing, and public driving sessions.
Over the years, there have been many accidents and deaths at the track - even during public sessions. Jeremy Clarkson noted in Top Gear in 2004 that "over the years this track has claimed over 200 lives".
Perhaps most famously, F1 champion Niki Lauda was left severely burned and near death after a crash at the circuit in 1976. His survival and remarkable comeback from the accident is considered one of the great tales of motorsport history.
The general consensus is that the production SU7 Ultra will likely be able to beat Porsche's time - with over 400bhp more power than the Taycan Turbo GT, and less weight.
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Chinese manufacturers have taken to the famous track in the past, including Nio with their EP9 electric hypercar in 2017.
On that occasion, they achieved a time of 06:45.09 - although it was done using bespoke tyres which voided it from the production car lap record.
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At the SU7's unveiling back in March, Lei Jun said that Xiaomi wants to build a "dream car" that's comparable to Porsche and Tesla.
He added: “If we want to build good cars, we must seriously learn from these two best car manufacturers in the world."
The all-electric car comes in three different specs; SU7, SU7 Pro and SU7 Max, with the base model managing 434 miles of range.
UK petrolheads interested in the SU7 may have to remain patient for its release overseas, as it’s not yet clear if Xiaomi will be selling its EV outside of China.
This comes as we sent one of our Sun Motors' reporters to drive a lap around the legendary Nurburgring circuit, and it nearly went horribly wrong.
Elsewhere, a gorgeous one-of-a-kind Porsche with a curious interior trim can be yours for an astronomical price.
An extra-special 911 'Turbo Remastered', which was released in 2024 by Porsche Sonderwunsch, has been described as a once in a lifetime find.
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