More than 1200 HP: this is how the most powerful limousine in the world becomes a beast. We have already driven the Lucid Air Sapphire (2024).
Neither AMG, Porsche nor Tesla: the Lucid Air Sapphire is the most powerful sedan in the world. Specifically, this Lucid that we have in our hands produces 1254 HP.
While Tesla and Porsche compete for the best time on the Nordschleife with the Plaid version of the Model S and a future super Taycan, Lucid has quietly and discreetly placed itself at the top: whether battery-powered, eight- or twelve-cylinder, whether M5 , RS 6 or S 63, Brabus, Abt or Hennessey… it doesn't matter: no other sedan is more powerful than the Lucid Air Sapphire, which quickly secures supremacy among large sedans.
Motor
The Porsche Taycan, even after the facelift, produces 952 HP and the Plaid already reaches 1034, stratospheric figures, but which do not reach the Lucid. The Americans have mounted a front and two rear motors on the axles, powered by a 900-volt battery that has until now been incomparable.
Since only the full 118 kWh package is available here, the energy is enough for an impressive range of 687 kilometers according to US regulations. And also when charging, the Lucid reaches 300 kW of speed: in 15 minutes it receives energy for 360 more kilometers.
Design
The powerful car is not just for show off. While high-end models from German manufacturers are usually very eye-catching, the Sapphire goes unnoticed, like a spy bomber.
Designed without edges for an excellent aerodynamic coefficient, only the 20-inch front wheels and the 21-inch rear wheels with their removable aerodynamic covers and the discreet rear spoiler are a hallmark of its overwhelming power. And of course, the deep blue paint, exclusive to the high-end model, as well as the dark-toned interior.
Behavior
Driving is spectacularly… unspectacular. The Sapphire refrains from any drama, so the outburst takes you completely by surprise. The acceleration is so fast that the digital display can barely keep up, the figures go up quickly: 0 to 100 in a ridiculous 1.89 seconds, better than a Bugatti, and it goes up to 330 km/h: the Taycan has already disappeared of the rearview mirror with its 260 km/h, and the Plaid slowly disappears at 322 km/h.
The Sapphire is vehement, but not brutal. Firm and at the same time as comfortable as befits a luxury car, it smoothly glides through the first two of its four driving modes like a soft moron and floats calmly in the left lane of the highway.
Only when switching to Sapphire mode does the sedan tense its muscles and the driver sharpen his senses. Especially when switching to Track mode, most assistance systems are switched off and the last reserves for maximum acceleration or fastest lap are mobilized.
And it is at that moment when the sedan goes from docile and submissive to becoming a beast, allowing the driver to guide it firmly through the curves. Yes, the Sapphire weighs almost three tons, and the seating position is a little higher due to the battery in the floor, but you never lose road feel. On the contrary: in some ways, you feel almost driving those cars that Peter Rawlins, head of Lucid, developed in his previous life when he was at Lotus.
Of course, so many sensations do not come cheap: at 249,000 US dollars, the price is comparatively prohibitive. After all, it costs two and a half times more than a Plaid and a quarter more than a Taycan Turbo S. And on the other hand, Lucid so far only sells the Sapphire in the United States.
But at least Lucid will soon remove that barrier and bring the Sapphire not only as an attraction to the Geneva Motor Show, but also to its European dealers, although they will surely ask 250,000 euros or more for it. And then, it will be time for an excursion to the Nordschleife.
Conclusion
Of course, nobody needs a sedan with more than 1200 HP. But in a segment where it's all about image, the Lucid Air Sapphire is a statement of power. And even more so as it is a newcomer to the sector.