Xiaomi Automobile, the young EV business spun out of the Chinese smartphone giant, has earned the respect of Nürburgring, one of the world’s longest and most renowned permanent race tracks. After catching the public’s attention during a lap at Nürburgring last year, Xiaomi has signed on as a long-term premium partner to the track, which includes naming rights on the Grand Prix Circuit and more.
Xiaomi Automobile continues to do all the right things to find success in the global EV industry, especially as a Chinese automaker. It helps that it has the financial backing and production prowess of parent company Xiaomi Corporation, a consumer electronics behemoth hailed by many as the “Apple of China.”
In many ways, Xiaomi represents what could have been if Apple had ever stepped out of its clandestine automotive design lair somewhere in Cupertino and had actually brought its ideas to fruition. Apple’s EV design would have been streamlined, clean, and full of tech, but there’s no way it would have delivered a flagship vehicle as sporty and track-friendly as the Xiaomi SU7 or, better yet, the 1,548 hp SU7 Ultra.
During a press event held in China last July, Xiaomi founder, chairman, and CEO Lei Jun confirmed a production version of the SU7 Ultra was in the works and should arrive in the first half of 2025. At the time, Xiaomi shared plans to take a prototype version of the tri-motor BEV to Nürburgring that October, chasing records of some of the fastest models on the planet, including the Tesla Model S Plaid and the Rimac Nevera.
During its lap on the Nordschleife at Nürburgring last fall, the Xiaomi SU7 completed the 20.8 km lap in 6:46:874 – the fastest time for a four-door vehicle. This caught the attention of many while proving that the company is more than a smartphone manufacturer and a bona fide contender in ultra-fast cars.
This began a friendship between the Chinese automaker and the famed German track. Xiaomi is now part of an exclusive test group, will develop its tech in Nürburgring, and has gained the naming rights to its own curve on the track.
Xiaomi becomes premium partner at Nürburgring
Nürburgring confirmed a “far-reaching partnership” with Xiaomi that includes local testing and development at the German track and advertising around the site.
Nürburgring shared that after Xiaomi’s record-breaking drive on the Nordschleife last fall, the Chinese automaker was invited to join the “Industriepool” – a members-only program where automakers and suppliers test and develop new vehicles and their components at Nürburgring sixteen weeks each year.
According to Nürburgring, Xiaomi is also shifting (at least some) BEV development overseas to the renowned track. In addition to joining the Industriepool, Xiaomi has signed on as a long-term advertiser. Curve 12 on the Grand Prix Circuit will now be known as the “Xiaomi curve,” visible from the grandstands near the start/finish line.
Xiaomi’s logo is now on a large banner across a bridge between the Aremberg and Fuchsröhre sections of the Nordschleife track (seen in the image above), and additional brand visibility is at the entrance to the Nordschleife. Nürburgring CEO Christian Stephani spoke about its new premium partner:
We are delighted that Xiaomi, a strong brand from Asia, is using the Nürburgring as an important development and communication platform. Xiaomi has recognized that the Nürburgring, and the Nordschleife in particular, is exactly the right place to advance new technologies and innovations, including in the field of electric mobility.
Lastly, Xiaomi joined the Nürburgring Business Club, which is described as a “B2B network for large and small companies from various industries.” On Weibo, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun shared that the production version of the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra is currently “challenging the Nürburgring Nordschleife track.” We will have to see what times it comes up with and if it broke its own prototype’s record.
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