Lucid Air Sapphire
Lucid Motors introduces the new Lucid Air Sapphire, the world's first all-electric luxury sports sedan. The new Air seems to have technical specifications that will amaze the entire electric car market.The Lucid Air Sapphire is characterized by a powertrain of three engines, two on the rear axle and one on the front. There is also an updated battery system that guarantees greater power. According to what was released by the same manufacturer, the new Air Sapphire will have more power than the 1,050 hp Grand Touring Performance. The power of over 1200 hp allows the Sapphire to be the most powerful electric sedan in the world, with a 0-96 km / h sprint in less than two seconds.
Not surprisingly, the innovative electric motors offer the Air model a whole new level of performance. According to popular opinion, the three electric powertrains incorporate Lucid Motors' micro-jet stator cooling and wave winding. Performance is also increased by the double rear unit which brings with it a new heat exchanger technology and a greater flow rate of the coolant. The carbon-ceramic brake system is also able to provide excellent stopping power.
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Let's not forget that with the Sapphire brand, Lucid Motors introduces a new colorway called Sapphire Blue which will be exclusive to Sapphire vehicles. The automaker plans to finish all Air Sapphire models in this new color to celebrate the introduction of the brand. Lucid Motors said it plans to start production of the Air Sapphire in the first half of 2023.
Sapphire is the embodiment of what ultra-high-performance luxury means to Lucid. Sapphire is among the most appreciated precious stones, recognized for its brilliance, color and hardness. Imperial Blue has long been the de facto national color for American motorsport teams competing in international competitions. As Lucid's dedicated ultra-high performance brand, Sapphire references this story, setting new standards for innovation and technology, commented Lucid Group's SVP of Brand and Design.
The Lucid Air Sapphire is a 1,200+ horsepower monster disguised as a four-door EV
ElectricA 200mph tilt at the Tesla Model S Plaid? Yeah, go on then...
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A large four-door EV. The launch of a whole new performance sub-brand from a manufacturer that’s still establishing its main one. And a 1,200+ horsepower monster that can fling its not-insignificant mass from a standstill to 60mph in less than two seconds, to 100mph in less than four and to the other end of a quarter-mile dragstrip in less than nine. Quite a bit to pack in there, then. But then it took quite a bit to get there, as well.
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It’s a little too easy these days to become accustomed to EVs with herculean power figures – and teeny acceleration times, for that matter – and not consider just how much effort goes into producing headline numbers like that. And after frying our brains trying to grasp electric motor wave winding and thermal logic, we’re confident that we can swerve such things entirely and paint in far broader strokes.
Such as the three motors here in place of the standard Air’s two, which Lucid says results in more than 1,200bhp. We’re thinking that a car that manages 1,111bhp with two motors will comfortably exceed 1,200bhp, but also thinking about the ramifications of 2.5 tonnes of automobile with that much power.
Helpfully, Lucid’s thought along the same lines, fitting massive carbon-ceramic brakes, stiffer suspension and a bespoke set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. This necessitates widening the front and rear track with some TG-approved arch extensions and gives just enough of a hint as to what the Air Sapphire is all about.
Whether it hints at proper two-motor torque vectoring on the rear axle is probably up to the individual, but we imagine that having your rear right wheel working at full regen braking while sending full forward power to the rear left would be less of a hint and more of a hearty slap across the jowls.
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The kind of hearty slap, we expect, that the Air Sapphire is to many a Tesla fan. After all, the launch edition of the Air already pipped the Model S Plaid to the post of most powerful sedan by 91bhp; extending that beyond 1,200bhp means the Sapphire could be playing with a 200bhp advantage. Even in numbers as mind-bendingly massive as these, that’s more than enough to make a noticeable difference.
It’s also enough for Lucid to create its own performance sub-brand for the finished product, which goes by the name Sapphire. Because what we were all thinking was that 1,100bhp cars needed a go-faster division.
As for the name, it apparently reflects the USA’s Imperial Blue racing colour and California’s state gem... which is the Benitoite. But as ol’ Benny is rare, valuable and often confused for a Sapphire, that works well enough. But we still think Lucid missed a trick. Not with the origin of name, which obviously has personal meaning, and not with the bear logo to represent it (Lancia HF elephant for life) either. But surely there was someone at the table who suggested that the fastest Lucid Air should be called the Hurricane, right? Anyone?
Our unrecognised genius aside, we’re thinking a few things here. That the Air Sapphire is all kinds of impressive. That it’s also completely unnecessary. And that we want one.
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