Not content with letting the Tesla Model S Plaid get all the limelight, Lucid has lifted the veil on the new flagship Air Sapphire at Monterey Car Week.
The Lucid Air Sapphire has been in the works for a couple of years now and is the first model in the newly-launched Sapphire ultra-high-performance sub-brand from Lucid.
Like the Model S Plaid, the Lucid Air Sapphire features a three-motor powertrain that consists of two motors at the rear axle and one motor at the front axle. Whereas the sold-out Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance has 1,111 hp and the Grand Touring Performance is rated at 1,050 hp, the Air Sapphire has over 1,200 hp, although Lucid hasn’t released a specific figure just yet. What it does say is that the Air Sapphire is the most powerful sedan in the world.
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The addition of a third electric motor allows the Air Sapphire to hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in less than 2 seconds, sprint from naught to 100 mph (160 km/h) in under 4 seconds, and run the quarter-mile in less than 9 seconds. Lucid notes that these figures are achievable without any protracted preconditioning routines.
A plethora of other upgrades have been made to the Air Sapphire. For example, it comes with large carbon ceramic brakes as standard (unlike the Model S Plaid) and also features stiffer front and rear springs, unique damper settings, stiffer bushings, and unique tuning for the ABS, traction control, stability control, and electronic power steering. New wheels have also been developed for the car, measuring 20 inches at the front and 21 inches at the rear, wrapped in 265/35 front and 295/30 rear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Carbon fiber aero discs are available.
Lucid is also touting the advanced torque vectoring capabilities of its new flagship. It says the rear electric motors can provide torque to the wheels in opposite directions to promote turn-in or straight-line stability. In tight corners, the system can apply regenerative braking on the inside wheel while powering the outside, also improving rotation.
A number of visual changes have also been made to the car. For example, it sports a new carbon fiber rear lip spoiler to increase downforce and is also available in a new shade dubbed Sapphire Blue.
Found in the cabin are new 18-way power sport seats with more bolstering and trimmed in black leather with black Alcantara and Sapphire Blue contrast stitching. The headrests also feature a debossed Lucid gear logo while the steering wheel and upper roof structures are finished in Alcantara. The infotainment screen and digital instrument cluster also feature unique graphics.
Lucid is promising high-end Sapphire variants of all its future models. The Air Sapphire will be produced in limited numbers, starting at $249,000 in the U.S. and $325,000 in Canada. Reservations will be available from August 23 and the first deliveries are planned for next year.