A Chinese electric sedan has out accelerated one of Ferrari’s most extreme road cars in a real world drag race, under conditions that usually punish raw power. In a recent test organized by Carwow at a drag strip in Abu Dhabi, Xiaomi’s SU7 Ultra went head to head with the Ferrari SF90 XX on a surface made slippery by a recent desert sandstorm.
The matchup immediately stood out for what it represented. On one side was Ferrari, a brand built on decades of motorsport heritage and engineering refinement. On the other was Xiaomi, better known globally for smartphones and smart home devices than for high performance cars. Yet when the lights went green, the balance of power shifted quickly.
The SU7 Ultra is Xiaomi’s most extreme electric sedan to date. It uses three electric motors producing a combined 1,526 horsepower and 1,305 pound feet of torque, all sent to four wheels. The tradeoff is mass. The car weighs roughly 5,200 pounds, far heavier than most supercars. Xiaomi claims a 0 to 62 mph time of just under two seconds, placing it firmly in hypercar territory.
The Ferrari SF90 XX approaches performance differently. Its twin turbo V8 generates 786 horsepower, supplemented by three electric motors for a combined output of about 1,016 horsepower. With a curb weight closer to 3,660 pounds, it relies on lightness, chassis balance, and decades of traction tuning. Ferrari quotes a 0 to 62 mph time of around 2.3 seconds.
Conditions played a critical role. Fine sand left behind by a storm made the track slick, favoring vehicles with instant torque control and advanced all wheel drive systems. After navigating a surprisingly slow launch control setup, the Xiaomi surged ahead immediately. Over the quarter mile, the SU7 Ultra ran a 9.3 second pass, while the Ferrari crossed in 10.2 seconds, nearly a full second behind.
The gap widened over the half mile. The Ferrari struggled to deploy power cleanly, while the electric sedan continued to pull. The Xiaomi completed the run in 14.5 seconds, compared to 15.7 seconds for the SF90 XX.
A braking test from 100 mph restored some balance, with the Ferrari stopping shorter thanks to its lighter weight and track focused setup. But the headline had already been written.
In straight line acceleration, on a surface where traction mattered more than theater, a heavy electric sedan from a young Chinese automaker had just beaten one of Ferrari’s most advanced road cars. As Chinese EVs push further into performance territory, moments like this suggest the debate is no longer theoretical. It is playing out on the track, in plain view.
