Yahoo Autos Lucid Air Sapphire has 1,234 hp and can go 427 miles. This is how it drives
LOS ANGELES -- The Lucid Air had an impressive inaugural year. The all-electric sedan garnered its fair share of positive reviews and accolades, proving that its relatively new carmaker has been paying attention to the details in a way that few other upstarts do.
The Lucid Air boasts some truly impressive engineering and throws around some big numbers, especially its current maximum output of 1,050 horsepower and a zero-to-60 time under 3 seconds. Add a bladder-busting estimated range of 516 miles, and this big luxury sedan is nearly unassailable among more established EVs. There is, of course, another big number to consider, and that's price. Models range from just below $90,000 to over $140,000.
So what's next for Lucid? In a word, more. More power, more performance, and not surprisingly, more money. The Air Sapphire is the new pinnacle of the lineup, adding a second electric motor to the rear axle, increasing output to 1,234 horsepower and 1,430 pound-feet of torque, and chopping its zero-to-60 time to 1.9 seconds. Meanwhile, the price climbs steeply to a quarter of a million dollars. Thankfully, the engineers saw fit to upgrade the Sapphire with carbon ceramic brakes to get this 5,000-plus pound vehicle slowed down, along with wider high-performance tires and a sport-tuned suspension to keep it on the pavement.
The Sapphire name will serve as Lucid's performance division, similar to how BMW has its M Division and Mercedes-Benz has AMG. I took this ultimate variant for a short but informative drive in Los Angeles and came away duly impressed.
Sensibly, I had every intention of starting out the drive cautious, then ramping up the aggression as I found the courage and confidence. Lucid's Director of Vehicle Dynamics, David Lickford, had other ideas.
“Foot to the floor,” he said as we were only a block or two into the drive. I immediately stomped the accelerator, launching the Sapphire from 35 mph to I-don’t-know-what quicker than I could gasp and giggle.
"That was in Smooth mode," Lickford continued, "so you're only getting 700 hp or so."
A fraction of a mile later, he let me know that he's engaging the Sapphire mode, which unleashes more of its performance potential, though thankfully traction and stability control remain engaged. Track mode is available, but we never delved into that on this street drive. As we approached a freeway onramp, he directed me to floor it again once we straighten out. I complied, but L.A.'s notorious traffic allowed for only a second or so of absurd acceleration.
That wasn't enough to fully evaluate the Sapphire's power, but it gave me an opportunity to get on the brakes with some aggression. Much as there was no shimmy under acceleration, there wasn’t any drama under hard braking, either. It just executed all of my commands without protest or hesitation.
