Tesla Model S Plaid gets crushed by Lucid Air Sapphire in U-styled drag race
Among the fastest sedans on the market right now, offerings from Tesla and Lucid are at the forefront. Tesla's Model S Plaid hardly needs an introduction, considering that it has long been the benchmark for electric performance sedans. Lucid's Air Sapphire is relatively new to the block, but manages to put up quite the fight, making a persuasive case for itself.
That is not to say it is fair to directly compare the two, given that the Lucid Air Sapphire costs nearly a quarter of a million dollars while Tesla's Model S Plaid with the optional Track Package costs less than half of as much. In terms of performance, the two green beasts are closer - the Model S puts down 1,020 hp while the Sapphire edges it out by delivering 1,234 hp, both utilizing a triple motor setup. Tesla argues a 1.99-second 0-60 time, while Lucid ups the ante with its claim of an even lower 1.83-second sprint.
As for the race itself, Edmunds opted for a U-styled drag race. Essentially, the two contenders will first accelerate down a straight, then execute a sharp U-turn and proceed to race off to the finish line. This setup tests not just the straight-line acceleration of the car, but also braking and cornering prowess.
In both the first and second attempt with drivers swapped, the Lucid Air Sapphire unsurprisingly crushed the Model S Plaid by a proper margin. The Lucid Air managed a time of just 27.9 seconds with a speed of 163.3 mph - the highest that Edmunds has seen yet, and a whopping 1.7 seconds faster than the previous record holder, a $382,000 McLaren 765LT.
The Tesla Model S, owing to its inferior numbers, managed to complete the lap in a respectable 29.8 seconds, managing to clinch the fourth position in the Edmunds leaderboard, pulling ahead of the Porsche 911 Turbo S which managed 30.8 seconds. The video is certainly quite entertaining to watch, considering that witnessing a luxury 4-door sedan outperform a supercar is pretty wild, to say the least.
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