Lei Jun on Xiaomi SU7 Ultra’s Nürburgring Run: 21 Emails and a Dream Realized

At his 2025 Annual Speech on September 25, Lei Jun shared the remarkable journey of Xiaomi SU7 Ultra and its record-setting challenge at Nürburgring.

The project was launched in December 2021, with bold ambitions: to rival Porsche and Tesla by building the world’s strongest pure electric performance car. Yet, after the Lunar New Year, resource constraints forced Xiaomi to temporarily shelve the Ultra project.

The dream, however, never faded. By May 2022, with breakthroughs in the SU7 core program, the team revived Ultra—sparking excitement across the entire division.

Lei Jun revealed that Xiaomi sent Nürburgring organizers 21 emails before getting a chance to meet. Their first question was blunt: “Why does a Chinese phone company want to come to Nürburgring?” But Xiaomi’s determination and vision eventually won them over.

With unpredictable weather and a packed schedule, the team waited nearly 20 days. Finally, on October 28, they seized a brief window of sunshine. In just one lap, the SU7 Ultra prototype set a new record—announcing Xiaomi’s automotive prowess to the world.

On April 1, 2024, the production version of Ultra returned to Nürburgring, completing four laps and delivering two astonishing results.

For Lei Jun, this was more than a racing milestone. It was living proof of Xiaomi’s relentless pursuit of dreams and limits.