During the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, Xiaomi Auto's first Vision Gran Turismo concept model made its domestic debut. Li Tianyuan, General Manager of Industrial Design at Xiaomi Auto and Vice Chairman of the Group Design Committee, alongside Kazunori Yamauchi, producer of the GT series, engaged with media to detail their collaborative journey.
The Xiaomi Vision GT originates from the concept car project of Sony's renowned simulation driving platform, GT, which focuses on developing future supercars and exclusively invites top global automotive manufacturers. Previously, luxury brands such as Bugatti, Ferrari, and Porsche were core participants in the project, with Xiaomi becoming the first Chinese brand to receive an invitation. The concept car was officially unveiled in Spain at the 2026 Mobile World Congress earlier this year.
Li Tianyuan stated that the Xiaomi Auto team initially received the invitation from GT series producer Kazunori Yamauchi around late March to early April 2025. The team's immediate reaction was that they had to undertake the project, describing it as "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." However, upon reviewing the timeline, they realized the project needed to be completed by March of this year, presenting a very tight schedule. The project officially commenced around May 2025, and ultimately, teams from Munich, Shanghai, and Beijing collaborated in a relay manner, compressing the development timeline from a conventional 18-month period to under 10 months.
When discussing memorable aspects of the development process, Li Tianyuan highlighted that for an electric supercar, balancing low drag with high downforce is a core requirement. Initially, the team aimed to create a car with extremely low drag. However, they later realized that focusing solely on low drag was not feasible. During simulation design, while drag was reduced, performance in corners was compromised. Conversely, pursuing downforce required aerodynamic components to press the car down, which would then increase drag.
"We discovered that what this car needed to achieve was the point of highest aerodynamic efficiency," Li explained. Ultimately, the Xiaomi Vision GT adopted a full lift-body reverse design from the aviation sector, drawing on the integrated concept of advanced aircraft wings and fuselage. By inverting the structure to form a reverse lift-body layout, the car generates substantial downforce as air flows rapidly beneath the body surface without requiring additional components, significantly enhancing aerodynamic efficiency.
According to data released by Xiaomi Auto, simulation tests verified that the Xiaomi Vision GT achieves an aerodynamic efficiency of 4.1, a downforce coefficient of 1.2, and a drag coefficient of 0.29. This level of aerodynamic efficiency surpasses that of most top-tier supercars currently on the market. Additionally, the Xiaomi Vision GT integrates future intelligent interaction concepts into the supercar cockpit, equipped with multiple sensors capable of comprehensively perceiving occupant biometric information. In high-speed driving scenarios, the driver's heart rate can be displayed in real-time on the steering wheel. By sensing the driver's state, the vehicle assists occupants in better controlling the car, breaking the traditional supercar limitation of prioritizing performance over intelligence.
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