There aren’t many production cars that can match the Tesla Model S Plaid or Lucid Air Sapphire in straight-line speed, but how do they compare side by side? The latest DragTimes video brings these two fast sedans together for a pure head-to-head quarter-mile to determine which is the fastest production sedan on the planet.
This clip follows the Lucid acceleration clip we saw on April 21, where video host Brooks managed to hit 60 mph in 1.77 seconds on Michelin road tires. Yes, the car was on a heavily prepared surface at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida, but that’s about the only way to fully exploit the Air Sapphire’s 1,234 horsepower.
That brings us to the four-door super sedan showdown above. The Model S Plaid has 1,020 horsepower, a large number in any context, but less than the Sapphire. We’ve seen it run quarter-mile passes in nine seconds in the past, but that won’t be enough to take down the Sapphire. To achieve a true victory, Brooks will need a perfect launch in the Plaid. If the Lucid driver also makes the start, it’s game over for the Tesla audience.
We suspect Brooks was well aware of this, which explains why he gave the red light on the first run. The Model S crosses the line first, but by launching too early, victory defaults to the other driver. Ironically, the second run sees the Lucid driver take the plunge with a red light, giving the Model S a technical victory. Finally, both drivers made impeccable launches for the third and final race. And it’s not even close.
The Lucid pulls away from the Plaid steadily throughout the track, crossing the finish line in 8.96 seconds at 153 mph. The Tesla is close at 9.28 seconds and 149 mph, but that amounts to a gap of several car lengths.
Is there a production car that can outrun the Sapphire? Maybe it’s time for a Lucid vs. Rimac Nevera showdown.
