We've got another entertaining gas vs. electric showdown between the 2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring and the 2022 Acura NSX Type S. However, they won't be drag racing following the typical rules. They'll be performing the new and (maybe) improved U-drag racing rules that add a bit more spice to the old formula.
First and foremost, let's meet our contestants. The 2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring is a fully electric dual-motor all-wheel drive beast that can generate a whopping 819 hp or 830 ps with 885 lb-ft or 1,199 Nm of torque.
As you probably already know, it doesn't come cheap, with this specific model costing $140,500. While it outputs some serious supercar power, it's also very heavy, weighing 5,226 lbs. or 2,370 kg.
Lately, the Lucid Air hasn't been sailing the news media waters as smoothly as the manufacturer would have liked. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found some software errors or bugs that made the car suddenly lose drive power.
Not many have been recalled, close to 190 models, and reportedly only those produced in Lucid's Casa Grande from Arizona for the 2022-2024 model years. Also, their manufacturing period ranged from November 10, 2021, to December 5, 2023.
While this isn't an Oval Office-level scandal, no shareholder is happy with this kind of negative publicity. For unrelated reasons, they've cut their prices recently, which makes the Tesla Model S competitor even more fierce on the market. The 430-hp Air Pure is now $69,900, down from $82,400. The 620-hp Lucid Air Touring costs $77,900, and the Air Grand Touring is $15,700 cheaper, at $109,900.
Photo: Edmunds Cars
Next, the 2022 Acura NSX Type S comes equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 turbocharged engine that can deliver 600 hp (608 ps) with 492 lb-ft or 667 Nm of torque. It's AWD, with a 9-speed dual-clutch transmission system and weighs much less than the Lucid, at 3,913 lbs or 1,775 kg. The price for this baby was no less than $192,495.
Now, for a quick rundown of the rules. The U-drag race is popular among the fine folks at Emunds Cars over on YouTube, where they floor it from a complete stop for a 1/4-mile, then make a U-turn and floor it back to the finish line. Also, they switch drivers during the race in the spirit of fairness.
So, how did they perform? Well, unsurprisingly, the electric one put the ICE car to shame. At least during the first race. Because during the second and third attempts, the NSX Type S bested the Lucid Air Grand Touring. But things aren't as straightforward as they seem at a first glance.
The Lucid lost the U-drag war, but it won other battles, like the 0-60 mph challenge, where it did 3.13 seconds, whereas the Acura hit 60 in 3.16 seconds. During the 1/4-mile stretch, the Lucid Air won again, finishing in 10.9 seconds at 129.3 mph, while the NSX did it in 11.2 seconds at 127.9 mph. As for the overall race, the Acura won in 33 seconds flat, reaching a maximum speed of 136.5 mph. The Lucid Air Grand Touring did it in 33.1 seconds at 139.4 mph.
So what happened? Well, all that weight from the Lucid didn't drag it down, but it messed with its inertia, making it much harder to brake in time for the U-turn. So naturally, the Acura took the opportunity and was faster on the return trip home.
Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive). Full profile
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