In what's surely one of the greatest understatements and oversimplifications of the year, we've got to say that the world is kind of crazy right now. We're not just talking geopolitically, either. The car business is full of turmoil and triumphs. The industry is dealing with greater competition, confusing consumer demands, and legislative whiplash. At the same time, though, we've seen some of the fastest, most technologically advanced, and stylistically interesting cars ever, all from places we never would've expected.Chevrolet Take the two vehicles we're talking about, here. Two of the absolute quickest cars, with no other qualifications, don't come from Italy or Germany. They come from designers and engineers in California and Michigan, and they're built in Arizona and Kentucky. They're not just straight-line muscle cars with the biggest possible V8s. They represent some of the pinnacles of electric, hybrid, and combustion engineering, while also providing impressive luxury or shocking track performance. They are the Lucid Air Sapphire and the Chevy Corvette ZR1X. They're Freakishly Fast LucidPart of why we're talking about these cars again is because insurance company Hagerty conducted one of its grand drag races to see which one is quickest on plain, un-prepped pavement. To illustrate their capabilities beyond just numbers, Hagerty also brought in a Volkswagen Golf R and BMW M2 CS as examples of other cars that, on their own, are fairly quick. Even with massive handicaps, the two Americans obliterated the Germans, and also set some amazing times without any sticky compound on the starting line. You can see it all in the video below.Both cars have set even more impressive acceleration times at drag strips. The Corvette ZR1X is the overall champ, having hit 60 mph in just 1.68 seconds with a fully prepared surface. It also managed to finish the quarter-mile in 8.675 seconds at 159 mph. If you were to take a ZR1X to an NHRA-affiliated drag strip and set those times, you would be asked to stop running, as additional safety equipment would be required under current rules. A ZR1X with the more slippery standard bodywork (not the high-downforce aero seen in the Hagerty video) can even reach a top speed of 233 mph.As for the Lucid Air Sapphire, it's only slightly more sluggish. It has an official 0-60 mph time of 1.89 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 8.95 seconds. The latter was accompanied by a trap speed of 158 mph. Those numbers would also result in an Air Sapphire being booted from a drag strip. As sleek and powerful as the car is, it can't match the ZR1X's sheer top speed, but 205 mph is still mighty impressive for any sedan. How They Achieve These Numbers Chevrolet Of the two cars, the Corvette ZR1X is the most powerful, but just barely. It makes 1,250 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque. Obviously, a big V8 is part of how it hits those numbers, but that's only the start, and it's not a traditional pushrod engine. It's a double-overhead-cam 5.5-liter V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft, and it has a pair of 76-millimeter turbochargers to feed it. On its own, the engine makes 1,064 hp and 828 pound-feet of torque.The rest of the power comes from the ZR1X's front motor. It makes 186 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque, and it puts that power to the front wheels. So not only does it add power, it adds traction off the line. It's also powered by a small 1.9-kWh battery pack, which is all that's needed since the engine provides most of the car's grunt. Also, while it's not especially light, the ZR1X's 3,914-lb curb weight helps make the most of its lower amount of and less-instant torque compared with EVs. It's also a fair bit heavier than supercars like the Bugatti Chiron.Lucid As for the Lucid, it's fully electric. It has not one, not two, but three electric motors, with two of them at the back. This obviously gives it all-wheel-drive, but it also results in 1,234 hp and 1,430 lb-ft of torque. That's less power, but a stunning 602 more lb-ft than the ZR1X. All that twist is important, since the Sapphire also weighs 5,336 lbs, nearly 1,500 lbs more than the ZR1X. Of course, that also makes the Sapphire's abilities all the more impressive. They're More Than Drag Racers Chevrolet These aren't one-trick ponies by any means. Of the two, the ZR1X might have fewer tricks, but they're good ones. It's a true track monster. It set a time of 6:49.275 at the Nurburbring Nordschleife, making it the fastest American car to ever lap the German circuit, topping the Mustang GTD. That also makes it faster than the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and it's in the company of other high-end sports cars like the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. Plus, because it's a Corvette, it can be serviced at your local Chevy dealer, and it has space for golf clubs.The Lucid Air Sapphire isn't necessarily a track machine, but it has more practical abilities. One of the more surprising ones is its remarkable efficiency. It's both a phenomenal luxury sedan, and a shockingly efficient one. It has a combined fuel economy rating of 105 MPG-e. That makes it basically as efficient as versions of the regular Hyundai Ioniq 5, Cadillac Optiq, and Kia EV6, while still delivering more than 1,000 hp and keeping up with the ultimate Corvette in a straight line. With its 118-kWh battery pack, it'll also go 427 miles on a charge.Lucid Plus, while we haven't driven a Sapphire ourselves, our time in lower-trim Airs has shown that the car is a serious luxury competitor. The cabin is finished in supple upholstery and attractive fabric and wood trims. It has some impressive screens for instruments and infotainment, and it has one of the most cavernous cabins you can get at this mid to large sedan size. It has plenty of fancy options available too, like 20-way power adjustable front seats. They're Relative Bargains Now, neither of these cars is truly cheap, since they both have price tags in the six-figure range. The competition, though, is way more expensive. The ZR1X is a steal with an MSRP of $209,700, which comes to a bit over $212,000 with destination and gas guzzler tax.The Lucid is more expensive with an MSRP of $249,900, but it has no options, plus you won't be paying for gas. Also, remember, these cars provide performance that compares with seven-figure cars. You can even own both of them for less than the price of a Lamborghini Revuelto, and you'd have an arguably perfect two-car garage.
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