Lucid Motors announced the new Lucid Air Sapphire Edition, a top-of-the-line sedan that can go from zero to 60 mph in under two seconds, zero to 100 mph in under four seconds, and the quarter-mile in under nine seconds.
That’s huge in a full-size, all-electric luxury sedan, and it might make the new sapphire blue vehicle the most powerful production sedan on the market, surpassing the previous record-holder, the Tesla Model S Plaid.
The new Sapphire Edition, which was unveiled on Friday at Monterey Car Week, combines many elements from Lucid’s lower trim vehicles, including the Dream Edition and the Grand Touring Performance Edition. First, the new Air has three engines, two in the back and one in the front, which Lucid claims increases the projected horsepower to 1,200.
Lucid did not provide torque figures at the time of introduction, but as Eric Bach said at an early press event, “Lucid is reinventing what the family sedan can achieve” with the launching of the new model.
The dual rear-drive unit receives two 500kW inverters based on the Dream Performance Edition, as well as unique planetary gear reduction units. Because of this rear configuration, torque can be transferred to each tyre in different ways, giving the Sapphire Edition better stability and control. To help the huge sedan turn more accurately, the device may apply regenerative brakes to individual rear wheels.
According to Lucid, the dual rear-drive unit will also have improved heat exchanger technology and a higher coolant flow rate. While the business said that the battery system has been updated for increased power and better thermoregulation, it did not provide specifics at the time of release.
Going large on power necessitates going big on brakes, suspension setup, and tyres. Lucid updated to carbon ceramic brakes, adjusted the spring rates, increased the damping on the Sapphire, fitted sway bars, and modified the power steering and ABS system to accomplish this.
The Sapphire Edition will also have bespoke composite wheels and a unique pair of tyres (20 inches in front and 21 inches in the rear) composed of a composition that delivers a mix of low rolling resistance and excellent grip, akin to a Cup 2 tyre. Lucid will also sell a pair of wheel shields that can be mounted to the wheels using the centre locks to make them more aerodynamic and efficient for longer, leisurely journeys.
The new Sapphire Edition, according to Lucid, will start at $249,000, which is $69,000 more than the Grand Touring Performance ($180,000). The firm is also experiencing delivery delays and is falling behind on production, owing to a supply shortfall caused by the epidemic and logistical issues. As global inflation looms, the firm was forced to boost car pricing this year.
