Hot Lap Video: The Lucid Air Sapphire EV Super Sedan Made Its Case at the Track
The Lucid Air Sapphire weighs more than some trucks, but the EV showed that it has real performance chops.
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Regardless of whether you like electric cars, there’s no disputing they’re quick in a straight line. Opinions vary after that. The Lucid Air Sapphire we tested at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway makes more torque than a heavy-duty diesel pickup truck, has a Mercedes S-Class-beating interior, and can travel more than 400 miles on a single charge. Does it have any business being on a racetrack? It doesn’t seem so, at least not on paper.
While it would be easy if not trendy to dismiss the 5,354-pound Lucid Air Sapphire from consideration, it would also be a big mistake. First of all, do you like torque? The three-motor, four-door family mauler offers more of it than, well, just about anything. Case in point, a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport makes 1,180 lb-ft. The Rivian R1S Quad makes 1,198 lb-ft, which is just beaten by a full-fat Ford Super Duty’s 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel that in its high-output configuration is good for an even 1,200. The Lucid seen here? How about 1,430 lb-ft of twisting force? It’s fully insane.
It can also be deployed fully, over and over again, on the racetrack. Yes, weighing nearly 1,000 pounds more than the chunky Ford Mustang GTD doesn’t help things, but the Lucid did much better than everyone at the track thought it would. In fact, if you look at the top speeds reached at Chuckwalla, the 1,234-hp electric car managed a 136-mph Vmax, just 2 mph behind the more powerful Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X that is 1,200 pounds lighter. The Mustang? The best it could manage was 5 mph slower.
Now look at how the Lucid and the Corvette handle Turn 10. At the apex, the ZR1X is moving 3 mph faster than the Sapphire. That’s notable but also not another universe of speed. Did we mention the torque? By the end of the front straight, the Sapphire is moving 0.6 mph faster. Yes, the Lucid does lose when it comes to slowing down and road holding, but again, it weighs nearly a half ton more than the next-heaviest car in this fight. That’s rather impressive if you ask us.
** with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires
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