Xiaomi Completes First-Ever Autonomous Nürburgring Lap, Establishing Record Baseline

Dynamic models, high-frequency torque distribution, and millisecond-level emergency braking capabilities honed on racetracks will be implemented in mass-produced vehicles. 

After blowing through previous speed records at the world-famous Nürburgring Nordschleife test track with its electric SU7 Ultra sedan and YU7 GT SUV, Xiaomi has completed the first ever fully autonomous lap. A driverless Xiaomi YU7 GT with the optional Track Package set an official time of 10 minutes, 29.483 seconds, becoming the benchmark for future contenders to beat.

According to Xiaomi, no human intervention was needed at all during the attempt. The lap time is significantly slower than the 7 minutes, 22.755 seconds achieved by the same car at the time of its launch in May, with Xiaomi’s test driver Ren Zhoucan at the wheel. The company has posted a full video of the lap, in one unedited take, on its official Weibo social network page. 

The company says “the dynamic models, high-frequency torque distribution, and millisecond-level emergency braking capabilities honed on extreme racetracks will eventually be gradually implemented in every mass-produced vehicle for ordinary users through product iterations. Our ultimate goal is to enable users to make the right decisions and bring the vehicle back under control in extreme conditions such as heavy rain, flooding, or slippery icy roads during daily use, just like a resident ‘ghost professional race car driver’."

Engineering the Xiaomi YU7 GT for autonomous racing

Interestingly, Xiaomi says this is only the beginning of its autonomous racing attempts. “This is far from the hardware limits of the YU7 GT, nor is it the end point of Xiaomi's intelligent driving algorithm capabilities”, the company said in a blog post making the occasion. The post goes into detail about the engineering and physics challenges Xiaomi faced while designing the YU7 GT, covering topics such as tyre grip, managing friction, and balancing acceleration and cornering at high speed. 

The company was quick to point out that it did not simply record a human driving the 20.8km circuit and then reproduce their actions. The run was fully autonomous, accounting for subtle changes in wind direction, track surface temperature, tyre pressure, tyre wear, and even subtle atmospheric disturbances. Xiaomi’s autonomous driving stack had to learn the logic of controlling a high-performance car, with millisecond-scale adjustments to ensure optimal performance and avoid potential understeer, skidding, and fishtailing. 

The test vehicle was put through various situations in which it could have lost control, but Xiaomi says it intuitively applied precise adjustments such as redistributing the torque to each wheel, to regain control in a fraction of the time a human driver would have needed to react.

Xiaomi YU7 GT specifications and availability

Xiaomi describes the YU7 GT as a “pure blood” performance version of the popular YU7 SUV. It was launched in China in May, starting at CNY 389,900 (approximately ₹55,07,040 before taxes) or CNY 429,900 (approximately ₹60,08,120 before taxes) with the Track Package. 

The Xiaomi YU7 GT is powered by the company’s own next-generation motors, which it calls HyperEngine V6s Plus and V8s EVO. The YU7 GT has a dual-motor setup, with a combined output of 738 kW (1003 ps, 540 Nm). Top speed is rated at 300 kmph, and it can accelerate from zero to 100 kmph in 2.92 seconds. It has 21-inch wheels as standard. 

There is no word yet on whether Xiaomi plans to launch its cars in India. The company has set its sights on a launch in Europe in 2027. It is targeting sales of 550,000 units in China this year, as it aims to become one of the world's top five carmakers within 15 years.