Xiaomi's Improved SU7 Ultra Could Make The Taycan Seem Slow

It's been a couple of years since Xiaomi unveiled the SU7 Ultra, a tri-motor electric sedan delivering an absurd 1,548 horsepower. To say it put European brands on notice would be an understatement. For a time, it held the production-car lap record around the Nürburgring for an executive EV, until the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Manthey came along and snatched the record earlier this year.

Evidently, Xiaomi isn't willing to let Porsche steal its thunder. Our spy photographers just snapped a pair of dramatic new SU7 Ultra prototypes testing at Green Hell, featuring several aerodynamic upgrades that make the Taycan's Manthey Kit aero tweaks seem a little tame. In fact, the road-going SU7 Ultra is quickly morphing into something that more closely mimics the original record-breaking SU7 Ultra Prototype.

The changes start at the front. Xiaomi's engineers have overhauled the car's bumper, adding a large new splitter and aero skirts on either side. They've also fitted new louvers above the front wheels, installed large side skirts, and may have even made some brake changes. In some of these photos, the huge carbon ceramic discs can be seen glowing red.

As bold as the front half of the EV is, it's at the rear where Xiaomi appears to be directing most of its energy. The obvious highlight is the twin-plane rear wing. It looks almost as big as the wing on a Porsche 911 GT3 RS and, just like that car, has huge swan-neck mounts. It's hard to say for certain from these images, but it also looks to have all the components needed for an active Drag Reduction System (DRS), like the Porsche. This would help offset some of the wing's added drag by opening one of the slats at the press of a button, helping it to slice through the air and boost the car's top speed.

It's not just the wing that's extreme. Xiaomi is also testing an all-new diffuser for the SU7 Ultra. Likely made from carbon fiber, it looks similar to the diffuser offered by Manthey for the Taycan Turbo GT and will work with the wing to stick the EV's rear wheels to the pavement.

Xiaomi may decide to pair the aero upgrades with several mechanical tweaks. Because of the added downforce, it'll likely need suspension modifications and may even upgrade power. The Chinese company has previously shown off a quad-motor powertrain with 2,054 hp, but has yet to implement it in a production model. A wild new version of the SU7 Ultra could be the perfect car to launch this setup.