SAN JOSE: Lucid, the US automotive company pushing electric performance to newer highs, has announced what it describes as the most powerful saloon in the world, a Sapphire-badged version of the Air.
The four-door sports version has a whiplash-guaranteeing 1,254hp on tap, meaning neither the Plaid version of the Tesla Model S nor the freshly facelifted Porsche Taycan Turbo S can compete.
The Lucid Air Sapphire also leaves high-end combustion engines like the Mercedes S 63 AMG and Bentley Flying Spur behind in its fumeless wake.
Lucid says the new leap forward in performance is made possible by a new twin engine on the rear axle, which increases the previous peak performance by around 10%.
This enables the Sapphire to accelerate from a standstill to 100kph in just 1.89 seconds, beating even a Bugatti behind in the sprint.
Keep your foot on the floor, and the car only stops accelerating at 330kph - or when the 118 kWh battery is empty after a standard range of 687km.
The Sapphire, debuted in August 2023, is initially only available in the US. However, Lucid is set to announce the European launch at the Geneva Motor Show, which starts today and runs until March 3.
With a price of US$249,000 (RM1.2mil), the Sapphire costs around twice as much as the most powerful Model S and around a quarter more than the most expensive Taycan.
