- An image on social media suggests Xiaomi has set an autonomous Ring lap record.
- Hero photo shows a YU7 GT SUV as the Nurburgring’s first fastest driverless car.
- Actual time still TBC, but intel suggests human race drivers’ jobs are safe for now.
Xiaomi has already shown by setting multiple lap records that it knows its way around the Nurburgring. Now the Chinese smartphone giant turned EV maker looks set to prove its cars can find their way around without anyone touching the steering wheel. Whether they’ll find their way around quickly is another question entirely.
An Instagram post from @rollendereporter appears to reveal Xiaomi’s latest Nürburgring achievement before the company has had a chance to announce it. The behind-the-scenes image shows a Xiaomi-contracted photographer setting up a hero shot of a Lidar-equipped YU7 SUV beside an official Nurburgring plaque carrying the words “Nordschleife Autonomous Driving Prototype.”
Related: Xiaomi’s SU7 Ultra Held The EV Nurburgring Crown, Until Porsche Wanted It Back
The plaque also includes the words “Official lap time,” though frustratingly, the actual number isn’t visible in the published image. Pressed by followers in the comments, @rollendereporter admitted he could read the lap time in the original photo. But while he stopped short of revealing the number, he did offer a clue that might take some of the shine off Xiaomi’s upcoming announcement.
“It’s hard to see here, but I can read the numbers on the original photo,” he wrote. “Let’s just say it’s a lot quicker to take the wheel in your own hands 😅😂”
Some commenters were surprised to learn that an official autonomous driving category even exists. Others questioned what the point of such a record might be when the whole appeal of the Nürburgring is seeing what happens when talented drivers and fast machines are pushed to their limits.
YU7 Is Already In The Ring Record Books
Still, Xiaomi clearly enjoys collecting Nürburgring silverware. Just last month, the 990 hp (1,003 PS) YU7 GT grabbed the SUV lap record with a 7 minute 22.755 second run, beating the Audi RS Q8’s previous benchmark by almost 4 seconds.
Before that, the 1,527 hp (1,548 PS) SU7 Ultra sedan clocked a stunning 7 minute 4.957 second lap, taking both the fastest EV and fastest four-door production car crowns from the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. Porsche has since snatched it back with a 6:55 time thanks to some Manthey tuning and new Pirelli Trofeo RS tires.
So how fast do you think Xiaomi’s driverless YU7 went around the Nürburgring? And more importantly, would you be brave enough to ride shotgun while it tried to go faster?
