The electric super-sedan rivalry has a new leader. The Lucid Air Sapphire just became the quickest-accelerating production car ever tested by Motor Trend, outpacing both the Tesla Model S Plaid and Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.
What makes this even more remarkable is that the Air Sapphire achieved it while being larger, heavier, and more luxurious than its competitors. The real game changer is the combination of massive, uninterrupted power and a serious tyre upgrade.
Motor Trend got behind the wheel of the 1,234 hp (920 kW) Air Sapphire equipped with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS Elect LM1 tyres, which are now available as an $8,250 (approx. R140k) option including installation. The result was a blistering 1.881-second run to 60 mph (96 km/h).
That’s a clear improvement over the previous test on standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4S LM1 tyres, where it needed 2.2 seconds to reach the same mark. For context, the publication recorded a 2.07 second 0–60 mph time in the Tesla Model S Plaid, and until now, the Taycan Turbo GT Weissach held the crown, missing Lucid’s new record by just 0.006 seconds.
*All times were recorded on an unprepped surface with a one-foot rollout.
Motor Trend hasn’t shared the no-rollout figure for the Air Sapphire, but based on past tests with the Tesla and Porsche, rollout typically cuts about 0.2 seconds from the total time.