- This lightly-disguised prototype was rocking racing seats and a roll cage.
- It’s unclear if Lucid is performing timed laps of the circuit or just conducting routine development tests.
- The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT’s blistering 7:07.55 lap could prove hard to beat.
When it comes to straight-line performance, there’s not a single sedan on the planet that can keep up with the Lucid Air Sapphire. Could the ultimate version of the ultimate electric sedan also be gunning to become untouchable on a racetrack?
Recently, an undisguised prototype of the Air Sapphire hit the Nurburgring Nordschleife and completed a series of hot laps. It looks ferociously fast and has left us wondering if Lucid is gunning for a lap record or if these runs were simply part of routine testing for the car and future developments and upgrades that are in the works.
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The fastest series-production four-door electric vehicle to ever lap the Nurburgring is the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, completing a lap in an astonishing 7:07.55 earlier this year. That put it just 2 seconds behind the Rimac Nevera and is a record that could stand for several years. Given that the Taycan Turbo GT has far more track-oriented aero than the Air Sapphire, we’d be shocked if the Lucid can match its time.
However, it’s certainly possible it could get within striking distance of the best time set by a Tesla Model S Plaid, which currently sits at 7:25.231. The Lucid has a power advantage over the Tesla and during these laps, it looks extremely quick, even though the sheer size and weight of the thing does mean it rolls through the turns quite a lot.
This isn’t the first time Lucid has conducted official tests of the Air at the Nordschleife. It’s never published a lap time at the circuit, and doing so could prove to be a great marketing tool for the brand. Continuing to test at Green Hell could also provide it with valuable information about how to lift the Air’s performance to even greater heights.