C8 Chevy Corvette Z06 Drags Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance, the Gap Is Unreal

Oh, and the setting is Willow Springs International Raceway, that "super-fast 2.5-mile / nine-turn road racing circuit, patterned after the great courses and road racing traditions," which is located in Willow Springs near Rosamond, California, about 80 miles north of Los Angeles. By the way, this is the oldest permanent road course in the United States, with construction starting in 1952 and the first race taking place late in November 1953, almost seven decades ago.

Here, Rory from AutoTrader met with Iwuji to profess their love for all automotive things, even those that happen to be in a complete antithesis, like the Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance all-electric sedan and the C8 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Typically, these two should be worlds apart – but the times are interesting now, and we can have about the same performance from a hulking EV and a nimble ICE-powered V8 hero. Oh, by the way, again – about the same doesn't mean precisely the same by any means.

As such, while some figures are closer than anyone thought, they do not tell the entire story. So, according to the AutoTrader credentials card, the Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance has 1,050 horsepower, 1,200 Nm (885 lb-ft) of instantaneous torque, a sprint to 60 mph (96 kph) lasting just 2.6 seconds, and a top speed of 168 mph (270 kph). Additionally, the stated weight is 2,100 kg – almost 4,630 pounds, while the asking price of no less than $179k.

On the other side sits the howling orange hoot of an FPC Corvette Z06, which rocks 'just' 670 hp from its record-breaking naturally aspirated engine and a smallish torque of 624 Nm (460 lb-ft). Still, the acceleration time from not to 60 mph (96 kph) is the same at 2.6 seconds, and the maximum speed is much higher at 195 mph (314 kph). Last but not least, the weight factor could work in its favor (1,680 kg), just like the price also does – it's a little over $109k (probably as tested). Anyway, the dry figures certainly don't make the whole picture, so Rory and Jesse had the entirety of the Willow Springs straight line for themselves and their feuding Air plus C8 Z06.

As it turns out, ICE-powered car fans, in general, and Chevy enthusiasts, in particular, might want to look away from this set of drag-and-roll races. The former showed a bonkers difference between the instantaneous torque plus AWD prowess of the Lucid Air compared to the traditional RWD setup of the Corvette. But, as it turns out, the roll race where the differences were supposed to be nullified didn't make much difference, either. In the end, the only chapter that the Z06 was better than the Air was braking. Oh, and although they didn't test both for a quick lap, we bet the Corvette would have absolutely demolished the big sedan there, too! So, in the end, it's time to choose your favorite in this battle of good versus evil – was it the loud and raspy Z06 sports car or the subtle and efficient Air sedan?