No American road car has achieved 60 mph faster than this Lucid. | Carscoops

      A set of Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS Elect LM1 tires enables the Lucid Air Sapphire to outpace the Tesla Model S Plaid and the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach.

      20 hours ago

      By Brad Anderson

      The Lucid Air Sapphire achieves a 0–60 mph time of 1.881 seconds with new Pirelli tires.

      The track tire package, priced at $8,250, significantly enhances acceleration and braking performance.

      It outperformed the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach by a mere 0.006 seconds.

      The competition among electric super-sedans has taken a new turn. Lucid’s Air Sapphire has secured the title of the fastest-accelerating production car ever tested by Motor Trend, surpassing both Tesla’s Model S Plaid and Porsche’s Taycan Turbo GT.

      What makes this accomplishment even more remarkable is that the Air Sapphire achieved it while being bulkier, heavier, and more opulently outfitted than its competitors. The key to this success appears to be the tires—and an abundance of relentless power.

      Breaking the Two-Second Barrier

      After taking the wheel of a 1,234 hp Air Sapphire equipped with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS Elect LM1 tires, now available as an $8,250 option plus installation directly from Lucid, Motor Trend clocked a 1.881-second sprint to 60 mph (96 km/h).

      This is significantly quicker than the previously tested Air Sapphire, which had standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4S LM1 tires and took 2.2 seconds to reach 60 mph.

      For comparison, the publication recorded a 2.07-second 0-60 mph time for the Tesla Model S Plaid. Before the Air Sapphire's arrival, the Taycan Turbo GT Weissach held the crown in Motor Trend’s acceleration tests, hitting 60 mph just 0.006 seconds slower than the Lucid. Notably, all times were achieved on an unprepared surface and included a one-foot rollout.

      Motor Trend has not disclosed how quickly the Air Sapphire would go without considering rollout, but tests of the Model S Plaid and Taycan Turbo GT indicate that rollout typically adds about 0.2 seconds to the 0-60 mph time.

      Extending Its Advantage

      In the quarter-mile, the Air Sapphire—priced at $250,500 and rising to $258,750 with the tested configuration—widened its lead over the competition. It previously achieved a time of 9.21 seconds at 157.1 mph with standard Michelin tires; however, after fitting the grippier Pirellis, it completed the quarter-mile in just 9.03 seconds.

      The new tires also enhance braking and handling. The EV requires only 93 feet to brake from 60 mph, matching the Taycan Turbo GT Weissach and improving by 10 feet compared to the Air Sapphire with standard tires. It also went around Motor Trend’s figure-eight course in 22.3 seconds, a 0.3-second improvement over a prior test, yet still slightly slower than the Porsche’s record-setting time of 21.9 seconds.