Lucid’s latest Airs, the Pure and the Touring, are finally breaking cover, and they’re as ground-breaking as the original Grand Touring. The first bit of news is that the entry-level Pure model will eventually be available in two guises. First, we’ll get the dual-motor all-wheel-drive version — by the end of this calendar year, says Lucid — delivering 480 horsepower. Then a single-motor rear-wheel-drive trim of indeterminate horsepower will arrive early in 2023. Few specs are available for the single-motor Pure, but we do know the AWD version’s Long Range Battery Pack — a paradoxical appellation, considering it’s the company’s smallest battery — is good for an EPA-rated 660 kilometres, while high-speed charging puts 320 klicks bank in the bank in just 15 minutes.
The Air Pure also comes standard with Lucid’s DreamDrive advanced driver assistance system. It can also be upgraded to Lucid’s top-of-the-line DreamDrive Pro system which includes 32 sensors — cameras, short- and long-range radars, an array of ultrasonic sensors, all topped off with a high-resolution LIDAR — that works in a “variety of adverse weather conditions.” Take that, Tesla!
Inside, Derek Jenkins, Senior Vice President of Design, says Pure “presents Lucid’s strongest case yet for boldness through simplicity,” which I think is just corporate-speak for “this is our entry-level interior.” Ditto, the Mojave PurLuxe interior, which is crafted from a bespoke combination of a remarkably soft and durable “leather alternative” — that would be synthetic, I presume — and a unique and high-quality fabric called Dune.
Meanwhile, the Air Touring’s 4.62 miles per kilowatt-hour (7.44 kilometres per kWh) make it the most energy-efficient Lucid — and therefore the most energy-efficient EV — ever. And, unsurprisingly, since efficiency and aerodynamics go hand-in hand, it is also the world’s slipperiest production vehicle, with a coefficient of drag of just 0.197. Thanks to that sleek shape, it ekes an impressive 685 kilometre range out of Lucid’s smaller 18-module Long Range battery. It’s also pretty darned quick, its dual-motored 620 horsepower skipping right along to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometres per hour) in just 3.4 seconds.
On a more pedestrian front, the Touring’s interior is decidedly more upmarket than the Pure, clothed in Nappa leather “juxtaposed,” says Lucid, “with recycled textiles and synthetics.” Indeed, whenever possible, Lucid says it sources sustainable materials “to reduce the environmental impact of our vehicles.” Even the wood accents are sustainably harvested, says the company. It also says that, thank to that smaller battery, the Touring features copious amounts of rear-seat leg and foot room, a sense of spaciousness only enhanced when one opts for the Glass Canopy roof that lends an “open and airy feel.”
The really incredible story, however, is the 1,200-plus-horsepower Sapphire version of the Air, which, according to Lucid’s latest missive, can accelerate to 60 mph (96 km/h) from zero in just 1.89 seconds. Now, I’ve got to admit that I think it’s kind of odd taking zero-to-60-mph sprint timing to the second decimal place. I mean, is there really a car out there boasting 1.9 seconds, and the higher-ups thought the Sapphire being 0.01 seconds faster would be marketable?
Whatever the case, that ungodly jump off the lights is backed up by a zero-to-100-mph (-160 km/h) time of 3.87 (again with the double digits) as the triple-motored Sapphire sprints to its top speed of 205 mph (330 km/h). That, my friends, is perilously close to what Lewis Hamilton expects from his Mercedes-AMG when he drops the hammer on the F1 W13. Indeed, though no specifics are being touted, Lucid is claiming that “Sapphire development vehicles have recorded unofficial lap times at major racetracks that are significantly faster than many renowned hypercars.”
All with four doors and zero emissions.
Keyword: 2023 Lucid Air Pure is a more affordable, 660-km-range luxury EV