More and more automakers want to rule the world Nürburgring in Germany. It seems like there's a new record being announced weekly, and while plenty of those are brands trading off fastest times with slightly tweaked versions of existing cars, some of them are newer players.One of the newest is Xiaomi, which brought its YU7 to the track to steal away the fastest time for an SUV. And the company yanked the record from Audi. Fastest SUV Swaps Spots With An EV Xiaomi Xiaomi brought its latest YU7 GT SUV to the 'Ring in early April. The SUV isn't in production just yet, but it will make its debut on May 21, so this record lap plays a big part in the marketing campaign.With Ren Zhoucan, the company's top test driver, behind the wheel, the YU7 GT managed to set a 7:34.93 second lap around the iconic race track. The time put it 1.76 seconds ahead of the Audi RS Q8 that held the record for quickest SUV, off-roader, van, or pickup.It's a tiny time difference, but it's no different from what we've seen Porsche, Ford, and Chevrolet trade back and forth in recent years. As the great philosopher Dominic Toretto once said, it doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning is winning.The problem is that, because it hasn't yet been revealed, we don't know that much about the YU7 GT with Track Package, other than it looks like a mix of Ferrari Purosangue, McLaren, and Porsche Cayenne. Filings with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology show that it will have a dual-motor AWD system with 990 horsepower. That gives it a top speed of 186 miles per hour, and its 101.7 kWh battery pack has at least enough capacity to do one full-power lap of the 'Ring.Xiaomi tuned this SUV at the track last year. It has adaptive dampers, a dual-chamber air spring system that can adjust for height as well as stiffness, and it has an electronic limited-slip differential at the back. And thanks to this new record run, Xiaomi has another first in the Nürburgring world. Zhoucan is now the first Chinese driver to get an official Nürburgring lap certification with the record lap. Xiaomi Is No Stranger To The Ring CarBuzz/Valnet Xiaomi has hit the 'Ring for record attempts before, not just to tune the YU7. On April 1, 2025, the SU7 Ultra Track Package – yes, the SU7 is the awkwardly named sedan and while the YU7 is an SUV – became the fastest electric car around the track with a since-beaten 7:04.957. The same day, a prototype of that car ran a 6:22, which immediately made the EV the third-quickest vehicle ever around the track.It has since been beaten by the Ford GT Mk IV, which snapped away the third spot with a 6:15. The Porsche 919 Hybrid EVO still holds the absolute official track record with a 5:19.We expect to learn more about this new SUV later this week after the full reveal. It's also great to see automakers from China are just as much suckers for showing off feats of strength as the North American and European brands. Because even if lap records don't make the road cars better, they do make for plenty of entertainment.
