Last week, smartphone maker turned EV manufacturer Xiaomi showed off a prototype superfast version of its SU7 sedan, called the SU7 Ultra. With 1,548 horsepower and a 0-60 time of less than two seconds, the hypercar-rivaling super sedan represents Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun’s goal to challenge legacy automotive on their home turf. Specifically, the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
However, it looks like the SU7 Ultra won’t just stay a one-off prototype; Xiaomi says that a production version of the SU7 Ultra will soon be on Chinese roads.
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Xiaomi Plans to Grow Its EV Presence
Xiaomi plans to be one of the biggest auto manufacturers within ten years. The SU7 sedan is only the first step. There are plans for an SU7-based crossover and potentially a lower-cost hatchback in the near future.
According to CarNewsChina, Jun announced this week that the car will enter production in the first half of 2025, albeit with some alterations to keep costs in check. The full carbon fiber body has been dropped, but the car will still retain the Ultra’s updated design, including the big spoiler and wide haunches.
Other goodies, like the tri-motor setup and racing-oriented battery pack, also will remain. The car will be offered in two trims, regular and track versions. Jun says the car will be more expensive than the standard SU7 but still within reach.
No matter how you slice it, this is impressive. Within a week of the announcement, Xiaomi has created a tangible and believable path to making its halo car a reality. By comparison, we’ve watched other manufacturers overpromise and even cancel their EV sports car plans.
In October, Toyota teased a mid-engined (or mid-motor, more specifically) called the FT-Se, but production won't happen until at least 2026. Tesla famously showed off what seemed to be a nearly production-ready follow-up to the Roadster back in 2017, but it’s now 2024, and there’s no Roadster in any Tesla store. Elon Musk literally shot a prototype into space before any customer ever got the ability to buy one in stores.
This isn’t the only car to go from concept to production intent within a few weeks in that country. Li Auto’s L6 PHEV crossover was technically made for sale a few days before it debuted at the Beijing Auto Show. Similarly, the Zeekr MIX prototype that debuted at the same show, was recently unveiled in production intent form.
China moves fast.
I do question Xiaomi's sanity, though. Although I am not one to say no to more power, the idea of a 1,500-horsepower car able to be purchased by any person on the street is terrifying. There are already plenty of videos on Chinese social media of buyers unable to handle the roughly 500 horsepower of the standard SU7 as they crash into walls and other vehicles.
I shudder to think about the carnage a 1,500-horsepower version could cause. The Tesla Model S Plaid and Lucid Air Sapphire's stratospheric pricing keeps them from becoming too ubiquitous among the public.
Anyway, Chinese readers: if you buy this thing, be careful where you aim it.
