During the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, Xiaomi's first Vision Gran Turismo concept car made its domestic debut. Li Tianyuan, General Manager of Xiaomi Auto Industrial Design and Vice Chairman of the Group Design Committee, along with GT series producer Kazunori Yamauchi, spoke with media regarding their collaborative efforts.
When asked about the motivation behind inviting Xiaomi to join the GT series, Yamauchi stated that his initial contact with the Xiaomi team occurred while he was in Shanghai attending the Shanghai F1 race. That encounter provided his first insight into Xiaomi's nature and ambitions. He noted that Xiaomi is not solely focused on smartphones but also produces home appliances, automobiles, and has recently ventured into semiconductors—achievements that, in his view, distinguish the company, as even giants like Google and Apple have not accomplished such a diverse portfolio. Upon deeper understanding, he recognized Xiaomi's remarkable stature. Confident that a partnership would yield an excellently designed vehicle, Yamauchi extended the invitation to Xiaomi.
He described the Xiaomi VGT as having a very clean, pure, yet highly intelligent and clever design. While high-performance supercars often feature exaggerated, heavily muscular styling, the Xiaomi VGT stands out for its simplicity and purity, marking a significant distinction from other models in the GT series.
In June 2025, "Gran Turismo 7" announced it would include the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, making it the first domestically produced Chinese car in the series' history. Yamauchi admitted he previously believed electric vehicles were unsuitable for track use due to issues like battery overheating and weight. However, after driving the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra for four laps at a high-intensity pace on the Nürburgring circuit, he was not overtaken by any other vehicle and finished with 25% of the battery charge remaining. He expressed considerable surprise at this performance.
Yamauchi emphasized that China is highly advanced in electric vehicle technology and has a substantial user base passionate about both EVs and gaming. He believes this will likely lead to an increasing presence of Chinese cars in future GT series games.