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Motor Trend: Power + Money: 2024 Lucid Air Sapphire vs. Tesla Model S Plaid!

Well, OK ....

"If Tesla has built a battery-powered Hellcat, the Sapphire is the Porsche 911 GT2 RS of four-door EVs—effortlessly fast, exquisitely balanced, and unapologetically expensive. The analogy has nothing to do with the numbers. The Sapphire's 1.05 g of cornering grip and 109-foot stop from 60 mph are in line with what the Plaid pulls. But it moves like a Porsche in the way its 1,430 lb-ft of torque never overpowers the chassis or brakes. Every dynamic attribute of the Sapphire works in harmony, setting the benchmark for driver engagement among EVs. And yes, we remember that the Taycan exists."
 
The MT guys really, really like the Sapphire's handling. So that begs a question: Does anyone know if the Sapphire platform is different than the other Airs, specifically my AGT? I get that there is the obvious difference of the extra motor, and that alone will affect performance and perhaps even handling under heavy acceleration. But for "highway driving" that would not come into play.

Are there specific tweaks or improvements that are known to exist between an AGT and a Sapphire, other than the propulsion? Or, does someone know for a fact that there are none?

I don't really care that much about 0-60 or 1/2 mile times. I do care, all the time, about solid driving performance - hugging the road, stability, responsive steering without being jittery, great smooth breaking, easy cornering. The MT video says the Sapphire is great at those things. Are they essentially saying all Airs are those things?
 
Just reading about how the car is built... I would get one just to look at it.

"I bought a piece of rock candy. But it 's not for eating. It's for looking through."
1708864039212.webp
 
"If we had the means, we'd own a Sapphire without reservation, while a Plaid wouldn't crack the top three on a $100K shopping list."

This line really stuck with me. Owning a Model S Plaid taught me three things:

1. At my age on the roads I drive, I will never be able to make use of the power that either the Plaid or the Sapphire puts down.

2. A Plaid with a yoke is unsafe in aggressive driving even on empty public roads, due both to the yoke's unwieldiness in quick maneuvers and the car's tendency for the front end to break loose.

3. We've owned two Teslas, and the Plaid will be our last. The 2021 update of the Model S took the car backward in some aspects as much as forward in others over our 2015 Model S P90D. That may be change, but it's not progress.
 
Cosmo Cruz said:
I can't rationalize the Sapphire. dammit.
Click to expand...
You just did, consider it a piece of art you can drive. Seems cheaper than buying a Van Gogh or a Rembrandt!
 
SDHacker said:
Beefed up suspension, battery cooling, programming for things like traction control customized. They didn’t just slap 1 more motor in a GT and call it a day.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I think you answered my question with that link: they made changes to the performance-related stuff (motor cooling, battery thermal logic, and battery performance). These are great improvements to have achieved, because they might trickle down to lower-demand cars in the future.

But, by omission, I think we can safely assume that the handling, ride, steering, quiet, etc. is all the same as the AGT (or maybe all Airs?). I think if they had improved the suspension for the Sapphire, for example, they would have said so.

So, I'm gonna say that 90% of what the MT guys raved about is the same on most (maybe all?) of our Airs, irrespective of the model. And since my AGT has performance just a tiny notch below the Plaid, and I'll use that difference maybe, like, never, I get the benefit of all that great stuff at a price point just a fraction of the cost of the Sapphire.

Now, I just hope the company survives...
 
AltadenaAir said:
Thanks. I think you answered my question with that link: they made changes to the performance-related stuff (motor cooling, battery thermal logic, and battery performance). These are great improvements to have achieved, because they might trickle down to lower-demand cars in the future.

But, by omission, I think we can safely assume that the handling, ride, steering, quiet, etc. is all the same as the AGT (or maybe all Airs?). I think if they had improved the suspension for the Sapphire, for example, they would have said so.
Click to expand...
Watch some interviews on the Sapphire design. It does have different handling - you can even see in the .52 release notes that specifically sapphire handling was updated, not the rest. It has different drive modes with different features and tuning, not the same three that the rest of us have. It does have different suspension. It has different tires. Most importantly, sapphire blue paint goes faster. It's not just different software and little bits here and there.
 
segbrk said:
It does have different handling - you can even see in the .52 release notes that specifically sapphire handling was updated, not the rest. It has different drive modes with different features and tuning, not the same three that the rest of us have. It does have different suspension. It has different tires.
Click to expand...

Also, the Sapphire uses its two rear motors for rear torque vectoring rather than the less precise approach of using the brakes to simulate rear torque vectoring as is done with the rest of the Air lineup.


segbrk said:
Most importantly, sapphire blue paint goes faster.
Click to expand...

And you can add another 100hp with a good wax job. :cool:
 
AltadenaAir said:
But, by omission, I think we can safely assume that the handling, ride, steering, quiet, etc. is all the same as the AGT (or maybe all Airs?). I think if they had improved the suspension for the Sapphire, for example, they would have said so.
Click to expand...
I think you need to read the entire press release…you seem to have missed where they talk about the suspension and things that impact handling.
“Our aim with this, our first Sapphire model, is to complement the exceptional powertrain with sharper, more responsive driving dynamics and increased body control," said David Lickfold, Director of Chassis and Vehicle Dynamics, Lucid Group. "At the same time, it was important to retain the exceptional ride quality for which Lucid Air has come to be known."

Lucid Air Sapphire features stiffer front and rear springs, unique damper settings, stiffer bushings, and a unique tuning for ABS, traction, stability control, and electronic power steering. Standard carbon ceramic brakes provide exceptional stopping power and contribute to Lucid Air Sapphire's endurance in high-performance driving. This advanced chassis setup is conceived to maximize the benefits of the torque-vectoring capabilities of the three-motor powertrain
 
AltadenaAir said:
Thanks. I think you answered my question with that link: they made changes to the performance-related stuff (motor cooling, battery thermal logic, and battery performance). These are great improvements to have achieved, because they might trickle down to lower-demand cars in the future.

But, by omission, I think we can safely assume that the handling, ride, steering, quiet, etc. is all the same as the AGT (or maybe all Airs?). I think if they had improved the suspension for the Sapphire, for example, they would have said so.

So, I'm gonna say that 90% of what the MT guys raved about is the same on most (maybe all?) of our Airs, irrespective of the model. And since my AGT has performance just a tiny notch below the Plaid, and I'll use that difference maybe, like, never, I get the benefit of all that great stuff at a price point just a fraction of the cost of the Sapphire.

Now, I just hope the company survives...
Click to expand...
I think all you need to do is go back and read @Bill55 comments about this difference between his DEP and his Sapphire. There are already differences in the DEP vs GT. So I fully expect between a GT and Sapphire would be even more pronounced.
 
hydbob said:
You just did, consider it a piece of art you can drive. Seems cheaper than buying a Van Gogh or a Rembrandt!
Click to expand...

Oh I have no problem rationalizing the car, ... I literally know better.
My will is strong and my senses are about me. If that huhh waves her bottom in my direction I am done for.

what is wrong with me ?

It is, by any definition... an automotive wonder and work of art.
 
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