SU7 Ultra: Xiaomi supercharges its EV with carbon-ceramic brakes and triple motor system
Xiaomi has made its first-gen electric vehicle (EV) into a car even a Ford executive can love - however, even that is apparently not enough for CEO Lei Jun, who had expressed an aspiration to turn the SU7 into more of a hypercar back in July 2024.
The ensuing Ultra prototype looks a lot like the OEM's original mid-range sedan - except for the front splitter, giant rear wing and new yellow paint-job, of course.
Xiaomi had also equipped it with a motor system with a rated output of 1,138 kilowatt (kW, or 1,526 horsepower) and its battery to CATL's second-gen cell-to-body Qilin pack for up to 1,300kW of output.
However, its most noteworthy upgrade might the switch to carbon-ceramic brakes with an operating temperature estimated at no less than 1,300 degrees Celsius.
They are commonly regarded as much thicker, (with those of the SU7 Ultra coming in at up to 40 milimeters (mm) in height) yet much lighter and longer-lasting, than conventional brakes.
However, they are also much more expensive, with a cost of production said to be as much as that of the average car in the case of the SU7 Ultra.
On that note, its upcoming production model is also thought to cost about 799,999 yuan, or ~$112,270, from its early 2025 release - even without the carbon fiber body of the original prototype.
In the meantime, the SU7 Ultra is slated to debut alongside the Xiaomi 15 series of cutting-edge flagship Android smartphones tomorrow (October 29, 2024).
