Xiaomi’s upcoming YU7 GT has just become the world’s fastest production SUV around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with a lap time of 7:34.931. The record was achieved with Xiaomi chief test driver Ren Zhoucan behind the wheel.

Previously, the record for the fastest production SUV was held by the Audi RS Q8 Performance with a lap time of 7:36.698. The second-best time prior to the YU7 GT taking the crown was achieved by the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT – 7:38.925.

Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun praised the YU7 GT’s achievement, stressing how the higher center of gravity in SUVs makes posting an ideal time on the famous circuit highly difficult.

Xiaomi will fully unveil the YU7 GT on May 21, but the company has already revealed that it has a dual-motor system delivering 738kW or 990hp. It has carbon-ceramic brake discs and was jointly developed by Chinese and European experts. It has a top speed of 186 mph and a range of up to 438 miles under the optimistic CLTC testing conditions.

The YU7 GT is expected to start at around CNY 400,000 (approximately £42,800 at the current exchange rates). The ‘vanilla’, non-GT YU7 model launched last June starting at CNY 253,500 (£27,100).

Xiaomi has already deployed YU7 GT display vehicles to 268 stores in 82 Chinese cities, and it’s recently introduced the striking Crimson Red colorway.

Porsche has reclaimed the record for the fastest lap time for a four-door production car at the iconic Nürburgring race track in Germany, less than a year after losing the mantle to China’s Xiaomi, one of the world’s leading smartphone companies.

The Xiaomi’s SU7 Ultra model, a tri-motor high-performance electric sedan, took the title last June, but Porsche has returned to the track with another special edition of the electric Taycan, shaving 10 seconds off Xiaomi’s time, and completing the lap in under 6 minutes 56 seconds on the almost 21 km track.

Kevin Giek, the head of the Taycan model line said the new Manthey Kit offers a “unique upgrade” for the Taycan Turbo GT. “The small but impactful project team from Manthey and Porsche has succeeded in transferring the Manthey DNA into a kit for electric vehicles. This effort has culminated in an impressive new Nordschleife record,” he said.

This lap record post got mixed comments with some congratulating the sports car brand and said: “Congrats Porsche! ” Others compared it to the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra and said: “That’s actually pathetic considering this [Xiaomi SU7 Ultra] is only 9 seconds behind while costing ⅓ the price”.

The latest lap run with the Manthey Kit adds further performance to the 4-door sedan and has performed even better than the Weissach package it had used previously, which helped the car do the same lap in 7 minutes and 7 seconds.

The kit includes quite a few components, covering aerodynamic parts like the massive rear carbon-fibre wing, front diffuser, rear carbon aero discs to help reduce drag. These parts alone will help triple the downforce over the standard model.

Other components included cassis and suspension tuning as well as lighter 21-inch forged wheels, paired with street-legal wider tyres.

According to Porsche, the car that got that lap time was fitted with special track tyres, Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS, which likely provided better grip around corners. 

On the braking front, the kit includes a larger braking system, performance brake pads for a significant bump in deceleration rate.

Powering was also increased with maximum discharge current from the battery being increased, helping with a 10-second Attack Mode, where 730 kW of power is available. 

The latest lap time from Porsche in the Taycan Turbo GT with Manthey Kit appears to be in a highly modified car, which does not meet the “production” car description in our eyes. 

We look forward to seeing what Xiaomi counters this with; after all, it’s the SU7 Ultra Prototype that lapped the same circuit in under 6 minutes and 23 seconds, over 30 seconds faster than the latest Porsche.

Porsche Taycan Turbo GT lap

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Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.

A heavily camouflaged prototype of an electric Bentley SUV has been spotted. It was seen undergoing testing at Nürburgring.

This is easily the clearest look yet of the upcoming EV, which will sit below the Bentley Bentayga in the brand’s lineup. Despite heavy disguise, we can see the proportions of the electric SUV. Smaller, yes, but not small by any stretch. Expect a length of nearly five metres. The stance is tighter, the silhouette feels sleeker, and it looks more agile than the Bentayga.

Reports suggest that Bentley’s first electric SUV will ride on the dedicated PPE platform. That means no combustion engine compatibility. Just a clean electric architecture designed purely for performance and efficiency.

Giving power to the electric Bentley SUV would be a dual-motor AWD setup. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a 4-figure power output. Also expected is some seriously fast charging capability.

Source: @Carspotter Jeroen

The Ford GT Mk IV has just set an official lap time at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. It completed a lap of the 12.9-mile circuit in 6 min 15.977 seconds.

It makes the Ford GT Mk IV the fastest American car at the Green Hell. It was also the third fastest overall and the fastest car that is exclusively powered by an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE).

The Ford GT Mk IV is a limited-edition track car powered by a twin-turbo EcoBoost engine. It has an estimated output of 800 hp and comes with a racing transmission. Only 67 examples were built and offered to customers at $1.7 million a piece.

There just might be a new American king of the Nurburgring.

Multiple videos across the Internet show the Ford Mustang GTD blasting around the Nurburgring on Tuesday in what appears to clearly be a record attempt. A video on StatesideSupercars Youtube channel embedded below claims the updated Mustang GTD ran the ‘Ring in 6:41.74.

6:41.74 FORD MUSTANG GTD (EVO) NÜRBURGRING LAP Record Attempt, Outside footage & Timing!

If true, that would mean the Ford Mustang GTD just absolutely destroyed the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1‘s ‘Ring time of 6:50.763 and the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X‘s ‘Ring time of 6:49.275. Further, that would make the Mustang GTD quicker around the ‘Ring than the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Black Series, Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR, and even the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Manthey Performance.

Ford was out for blood, and it might’ve gotten it.

StatesideSupercars notes that the timing of 6:41.74 might be off by a second plus or minus due to the start and finish line being out of sight. Even if the time isn’t 100%, that still makes the Mustang GTD the American ‘Ring king. Further, it puts the Mustang GTD in absolute rarified air.

The Mercedes-Benz AMG One ran the ‘Ring in 6:29.090. The AMG One is basically a street-legal supercar with an F1 race car powertrain. That makes all this bananas.

A Ford spokesperson told The Drive,“Like we said, game on.” Indeed.

For history sake, the Ford Mustang GTD was the first American car to run a sub 7-minute lap around the ‘Ring. Then Ford beat its own record by 5.5 seconds months later. Then Team Chevy came and ruined Ford’s day by beating the Mustang GTD with both the Corvette ZR1 and ZR1X.

Ford CEO Jim Farley took it personally. Farley congratulated Team Chevy and immediately said, “Game on.” He was serious.

Team Ford showed back up to the ‘Ring with a modified Mustang GTD back in October. Clearly the Blue Oval was testing updates for what would later become a record run. That record run, and subsequent new record, seems to possibly have taken place yesterday.

We’ll await final word from Ford. There just might be a new champ in town, and it wasn’t a second or two that Ford shaved off. This time Ford might have shaved off 10.3 seconds, give or take a second. Impressive.

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