Lucid Air Sapphire Drag Races Tesla Model S Plaid, It's Time for Revenge

The first independent drag race that put the impressive Model S Plaid and Air Sapphire head-to-head resulted in the former winning without leaving any room for doubt. When two owners of these impressive "zero-emission" rides meet and decide to duke it out, chances are the Tesla will come out on top. It scored an easy three out of three without much prior preparation, which is a better reflection of what might happen in any other instance where the manufacturer doesn't supply the car with all the right tweaks.

It's also worth noting that the Model S Plaid is technically down on power. However, numerous dyno tests revealed that the actual output was quite a bit higher than 1,020 hp (and 1,050 lb-ft of torque) when Drag Strip Mode was engaged. The car can easily put down over 1,100 hp. Factor in the 570-lb weight difference, and the Tesla, although not as well built as the Lucid, starts looking like a champ.

But it's not a done deal. MotorTrend's latest drag race puts the two rivals through a half-mile race where everything that matters is measured, including the quarter-mile time. The team had asked Tesla for a 2024 Model S Plaid equipped with the Track Pack, but they didn't receive an answer. As such, the EV you'll see below can't achieve that coveted top speed of 200 mph (322 kph). It's electronically limited to 163 mph (262 kph).

MotorTrend doesn't say who loaned them the Lucid Air Sapphire, but extrapolating from incomplete data suggests the manufacturer provided the high-performance EV.

Swoosh!

The outcome? Well, the Air, which happens to be the publication's 2022 Car of the Year, won both the quarter- and the half-mile drag races. The reviewer said they had run the race "a few times, but the result was always the same."

The Tesla Model S Plaid needed 0.2 seconds extra to cross the quarter-mile finish line and was clocked at a speed of 150.2 mph (241.7 kph), while the Air Sapphire flew across it in 9.3 seconds after reaching a speed of 156 mph (251 kph).

However, both EVs kept barreling toward the half-mile point. The pricey Air Sapphire needed 14.5 seconds to cover 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers), while the Model S Plaid crossed the same line 0.7 seconds later. The former was clocked at 185.9 mph (299.1 kph), while the latter went 0.1 mph over its artificially limited top speed.

So, the Lucid Air Sapphire got its revenge. It once again proved that the $159,010 price difference is worth it if you care about being a bit faster in a noiseless half-mile drag race.

However, it's not that simple.

Looking into it

This race doesn't give us the juicy details. We don't know if these two EVs are brand-new. We don't know their state of charge. We don't even know if they were prepped correctly beforehand. Were the tire pressures set at the optimum values? Were the cars cleared of any extra cargo? Did the drivers weigh almost the same? These are only a couple of things that matter when you're putting two high-performance machines against each other.

As you may know already, high-voltage energy storage units degrade with time. That means you lose range and, as is the case with these two watt-wasters, some performance.

What we know is that the Model S Plaid didn't have the Track Package, which meant its top speed was limited. That definitely hindered its performance because it hit the 163-mph wall quickly after passing the quarter-mile finish line.

All that makes this victory taste a bit bitter. It's not a clear-cut win, as far as we are concerned.

The reviewer also argues in the video below that the Model S Plaid is built on an old chassis that has been only slightly updated to accommodate all that extra power. He also points out that Tesla's high-performance sedan isn't as refined as the Lucid. However, given the MSRP difference between the two and the now Texas-based brand's reputation for build quality, I would say that's to be expected.

Making the right choices

If you have the means to buy either of these EVs but not the Rimac Nevera, the first choice should obviously be the Model S Plaid. It may not be perfect or posh, but it's incredibly fast, it has native access to the Supercharger network, and it will comfortably fight any traditional supercar at a traffic light.

However, if you don't care about performance too much and want an EV that can charge blisteringly fast at a (working and CCS-equipped) 350-kW DC pedestal, the $109,900 Air Grand Touring is the better buy.

None of these two automakers can match Mercedes-Benz or BMW in terms of material quality, though. But what's clear is that the Air is much nicer than the Model S. Oh, and it can also go 111 miles farther than the Tesla on a full charge.

Where Lucid can't win is in the commuting appliance department. Tesla's new Model 3 Long (341-mile EPA-estimated) Range, with its revised suspension, improved sound deadening, and better efficiency, is a steal at $47,490 if you can access the EV tax credit. Lucid still hasn't presented a rival for this all-electric sedan. Maybe the Rivian R2 will have something to say about that.