Xiaomi’s YU7 GT has set the first autonomous-driving lap benchmark recorded at Zhejiang International Circuit, completing the Chinese track in 1 minute 49.434 seconds. The result gives Xiaomi a second high-profile demonstration of driverless performance after its official Nürburgring Nordschleife run earlier in June.
According to the original Chinese report, the autonomous YU7 GT was only 6.05 seconds slower than a human-driven Xiaomi YU7 Max lap at the same circuit. That comparison is eye-catching, although the company has not published enough detail about weather, tires, vehicle setup or track conditions to treat the two runs as a controlled head-to-head test.
Key facts
| Vehicle | Xiaomi YU7 GT |
|---|---|
| Venue | Zhejiang International Circuit, China |
| Autonomous lap | 1:49.434 |
| Gap cited to human-driven YU7 Max | 6.05 seconds |
| Earlier Nürburgring autonomous lap | 10:29.483 |
Why Xiaomi is testing autonomy on a circuit
A racing circuit is not a substitute for public-road validation, but it creates a demanding and repeatable environment for studying vehicle control near the limits of grip. High-speed cornering forces the software to coordinate steering, braking and power delivery while responding to rapid changes in load, tire behavior and road surface.
Xiaomi says the purpose of its track program is to improve the dynamic models behind future driver-assistance systems. Lessons from high-frequency torque distribution, vehicle-state prediction and rapid stability recovery could eventually help a production car respond more effectively to aquaplaning, snow, ice or an unexpected loss of traction.
That remains a development goal rather than proof that a retail Xiaomi can drive autonomously on ordinary roads. Closed-circuit records operate under controlled access and should not be interpreted as permission for hands-off driving beyond the capabilities and regulations that apply to a production vehicle.
The Nürburgring established the earlier benchmark
On June 23, Xiaomi published details of a separate driverless run at Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife. A YU7 GT equipped with the Track Package completed the full 20.8-kilometer circuit without a human driver in 10 minutes 29.483 seconds. Xiaomi said the run followed the Nürburgring’s official timing procedures, prompting the circuit to create an autonomous-driving category for electric vehicles.
The Nordschleife contains 73 corners, roughly 300 meters of elevation change and large variations in speed and surface conditions. Xiaomi described the run as a test of an end-to-end autonomous architecture paired with a vehicle-dynamics model that continuously predicts movement and coordinates steering, braking and power delivery.
From extreme testing to production software
Xiaomi introduced a newer vehicle platform in March 2026 using its XLA architecture and MiMo-Embodied foundation model. The company says this stack is intended to move automated driving beyond imitation of human behavior toward a deeper understanding of the environment, other road users and the vehicle’s own dynamic state.
The Zhejiang lap is therefore best viewed as an engineering milestone rather than a consumer feature announcement. It demonstrates that Xiaomi can make its software control a high-performance electric SUV at substantial speed, while leaving important questions about redundancy, repeatability and public-road deployment for future validation.
Image: Xiaomi official press material.
Sources: Xiaomi official Nürburgring announcement; original Zhejiang Circuit report.
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