Chinese SUV beats Ferrari in a drag race — and costs £54k
A Chinese hybrid SUV just embarrassed Ferrari, BMW, and Land Rover in a straight-line drag race — and it costs less than a well-equipped family car by premium standards. The Zeekr 8X completed the quarter-mile in 10.6 seconds, beating the Ferrari Purosangue (11.6s), BMW X5M (12.2s), and Land Rover Defender Octa (13.1s) in a test run by Carwow drag race. At £54,300 in the UK, it costs roughly one-seventh the price of the Ferrari.
The numbers
The 8X is a plug-in hybrid, not a pure EV. It pairs a 2.0-litre petrol engine with three electric motors to produce a combined 1,381 hp and 1,410 Nm of torque. The car weighs 2,820 kg — nearly three tonnes — yet still hits 200 km/h in under 10 seconds. The Ferrari it beat runs a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 producing 715 hp, weighs around 2,033 kg, and starts at roughly £395,000.
The price gap is stark: £54,300 vs £395,000-plus. The BMW X5M sits at around £137,000; the Defender Octa at £148,000. The Zeekr undercuts both by 60–70%, while posting faster times on the strip.
What it means for buyers
Zeekr is a Geely subsidiary — the same group that owns Volvo, Lotus, and Smart — which gives it more engineering credibility than a typical new-to-market Chinese brand. An Auto Express review described the interior as a genuine premium tech showcase, putting it in direct conversation with BMW and Audi rather than budget alternatives.
The 8X is not available to order yet in the UK or US. Zeekr plans to launch in the UK in late 2026, with first customer deliveries expected in early 2027. European and US pricing has not been officially confirmed; the £54,300 figure is an estimated UK street price. No dealer network or charging partnership details have been announced.
The bigger picture
This race doesn't make the Zeekr 8X a Ferrari rival in any traditional sense — brand heritage, driving character, and resale value all exist in a different universe. But the drag strip doesn't care about logos. A car that weighs three tonnes and costs £54k just beat a £395k V12 from Maranello over a quarter mile. For anyone shopping in the premium SUV space, that's a number worth watching when 2026 rolls around.