Photo: Lucid Motors
The word "beautiful" is often misused. We attribute this quality too easily to things that are merely cute, pleasant or attractive. Something that is beautiful needs to do more than just attract the eye - it has to touch your heart as well.
The Lucid Air is definitely beautiful. I dare you to look at the pictures on the right and then name a sedan that looks even remotely as sexy as this machine. You can search through the drawers of your mind all you want, you won't find any. Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Maserati - they all fall short.
And that's before you even step inside the aptly-named Air. One look at the car's interior and you won't be able to decide what sounds best for you: driving the 1,000 hp sedan or sitting on one of the two rear armchairs? Sure, these are computer-generated press images "shot" with ultra-wide lenses, but can't you just hear the quietness in these pictures? They are more soothing than a massage.
If Lucid Motors manages to bring this car to market as it sits before us right now, then Tesla's top models have a serious problem on their hands. The newcomer says the Air will cost over $100,000, which is as ambiguous as saying I am taller than six inches. But if it's only slightly more expensive than the $100k mark, then it's game on as the Model S P100D also lurks in that area.
And don't think that Tesla's performance is going to tilt the scales in its favor. Lucid Air also has a dual motor configuration, one that pushes out an even 1,000 horsepower, which is enough to push the luxury sedan to 60 mph (97 km/h) in just 2.5 seconds. If that time sounds familiar, it's because you've heard it when speaking about the Model S P100D's acceleration time. Tesla insists a software update can drop that to 2.4 seconds, but does that even matter?
Lucid's sedan won't be trailing in the maximum range department either. The two options for 100 and 130 kWh battery packs translate into a range of over 400 miles for the latter, making the Air the longest-traveling EV on the market.
Except the Lucid Air isn't on the market yet. If everything goes as planned - and it rarely does - the first lucky buyers will get their Airs sometime during 2018. The company plans a more affordable version later on, but nothing to compete with the Model 3's promised $35,000 base price.
Like any startup, Lucid Motors still has a lot to prove. So far, though, it has been the most consistent, transparent and trustworthy. Now that we've also seen its design, if I were an investor, I'd be entering the "shut up and take my money" mode. Which probably explains why I'm not an investor.
And that's before you even step inside the aptly-named Air. One look at the car's interior and you won't be able to decide what sounds best for you: driving the 1,000 hp sedan or sitting on one of the two rear armchairs? Sure, these are computer-generated press images "shot" with ultra-wide lenses, but can't you just hear the quietness in these pictures? They are more soothing than a massage.
If Lucid Motors manages to bring this car to market as it sits before us right now, then Tesla's top models have a serious problem on their hands. The newcomer says the Air will cost over $100,000, which is as ambiguous as saying I am taller than six inches. But if it's only slightly more expensive than the $100k mark, then it's game on as the Model S P100D also lurks in that area.
And don't think that Tesla's performance is going to tilt the scales in its favor. Lucid Air also has a dual motor configuration, one that pushes out an even 1,000 horsepower, which is enough to push the luxury sedan to 60 mph (97 km/h) in just 2.5 seconds. If that time sounds familiar, it's because you've heard it when speaking about the Model S P100D's acceleration time. Tesla insists a software update can drop that to 2.4 seconds, but does that even matter?
Lucid's sedan won't be trailing in the maximum range department either. The two options for 100 and 130 kWh battery packs translate into a range of over 400 miles for the latter, making the Air the longest-traveling EV on the market.
Except the Lucid Air isn't on the market yet. If everything goes as planned - and it rarely does - the first lucky buyers will get their Airs sometime during 2018. The company plans a more affordable version later on, but nothing to compete with the Model 3's promised $35,000 base price.
Like any startup, Lucid Motors still has a lot to prove. So far, though, it has been the most consistent, transparent and trustworthy. Now that we've also seen its design, if I were an investor, I'd be entering the "shut up and take my money" mode. Which probably explains why I'm not an investor.
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