Xiaomi’s New EV Just Set the First Autonomous Speed Record at Nürburgring
Xiaomi is quickly becoming a fixture in the Nürburgring record books.
The Chinese electronics giant’s new high-performance EV, the YU7 GT, just became the fastest autonomous vehicle in the motorsports complex’s history. That’s right, the company’s latest speed record was set without the assistance of a human driver.
Early Monday, Xiaomi revealed the YU7 GT had circled the NürburgringNürburgringA famous German racing circuit in the Eifel mountains with a punishing, twenty-kilometer Nordschleife loop where manufacturers test and benchmark performance cars. Lap times around the Nurburgring are a covetedGo to Nürburgring Glossary Nordschleife, or the complex’s north loop, in 10:29.483 minutes. The time is the first official autonomous lap completed at the racing circuit, making it the new record, according to Electrek.
The NürburgringNürburgringA famous German racing circuit in the Eifel mountains with a punishing, twenty-kilometer Nordschleife loop where manufacturers test and benchmark performance cars. Lap times around the Nurburgring are a covetedGo to Nürburgring Glossary also shared a video of the record-establishing lap on its YouTube page. In the clip, you can see there is no one behind the wheel of the SUV as its makes its way around the 12.94-mile course. The video lacks the visceral thrills of others we’ve seen taken at the track affectionately known as the “Green Hell,” but it’s important to remember what the EV is doing: navigating its way around 73 officially recognized turns (33 left and 40 right) and over 1,000 feet of elevation changes. We’ve seen plenty of vehicles circle Nordschleife faster, but the YU7 GT isn’t exactly a slouch. On the back straightaway, it reached a top speed of 210 km/h, or 130 mph.
The autonomous record is actually the second set by the YU7 GT at the NürburgringNürburgringA famous German racing circuit in the Eifel mountains with a punishing, twenty-kilometer Nordschleife loop where manufacturers test and benchmark performance cars. Lap times around the Nurburgring are a covetedGo to Nürburgring Glossary in as many months. In late May, Xiaomi announced the EV had become the fastest SUV in the complex’s history after circling its northern loop in 7:22.755 minutes. That time beat the previous mark, which was set by an Audi RS Q8 Performance in the fall of 2024, by nearly 14 seconds.
Xiaomi, which was previously best known for its smartphones, has only been building automobiles for a few years now, but it’s shown it knows what it’s doing. Its super sedan, the SU7 Ultra, was the fastest EV in the track’s history for a chunk of last year.
The range-topping version of the company’s flagship SUV looks awfully similar to the Ferrari Purosangue and features a dual-motor powertrain that makes 990 hp. The company claims the vehicle can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than three seconds and hit a top speed of 190 mph. It also has an autonomous driving system designed for public roads, which suggests the system used by the record-setting example may have utilized a custom setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Xiaomi YU7 GT is a high-performance electric SUV from Chinese technology company Xiaomi. It is the range-topping version of the YU7 and features a dual-motor powertrain with a claimed 990 hp.
The Xiaomi YU7 GT became the first vehicle to complete an officially timed autonomous lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It finished the 12.94-mile course in 10:29.483 minutes without a human driver behind the wheel.
No. Video of the run shows the Xiaomi YU7 GT completing the lap with no one behind the wheel, making it a driverless Nürburgring record run.
During the autonomous Nürburgring lap, the Xiaomi YU7 GT reached a top speed of 210 km/h, or about 130 mph, on the back straight.
The Nürburgring Nordschleife is one of the world’s most demanding circuits, with 73 officially recognized turns and more than 1,000 feet of elevation change. Completing a full lap without a human driver is a major demonstration of autonomous performance, vehicle control, and EV engineering.
The Nürburgring Nordschleife is about 12.94 miles long. Known as the “Green Hell,” it is famous for its technical corners, elevation changes, and high-speed sections.
Yes. In a separate record run, the Xiaomi YU7 GT completed the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:22.755 minutes, making it the fastest SUV recorded at the circuit.
The Xiaomi YU7 GT beat the previous SUV Nürburgring record set by the Audi RS Q8 Performance in 2024. Xiaomi’s 7:22.755 lap was nearly 14 seconds quicker.
Xiaomi claims the YU7 GT can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than three seconds.
Xiaomi claims the YU7 GT can reach a top speed of 190 mph, though its autonomous Nürburgring run topped out at 130 mph.
The Xiaomi YU7 GT has an autonomous driving system designed for public roads. The Nürburgring record car may have used a custom setup for the circuit run.
Xiaomi has also made headlines at the Nürburgring with the SU7 Ultra, its high-performance electric sedan. The car was previously among the fastest EVs recorded at the circuit.
Xiaomi is expanding beyond smartphones and consumer electronics into electric vehicles. Its Nürburgring records show how aggressively the company is trying to establish itself as a serious EV performance brand.
The YU7 GT and SU7 Ultra are both high-performance electric vehicles from Xiaomi. The SU7 Ultra is a sedan, while the YU7 GT is an SUV.
This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.