Well here it is Tesla Plaid versus Lucid Air Sapphire on the same day in the same place~ no excuses!
Unsure if this has been posted already, but first direct track race I’ve seen between a Plaid and Sapphire.
xponents
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I was JUST searching this up!
xponents
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It is somewhat embarrassing how the sapphire lost, though. Especially considering the price..
NoseyReporter
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Even if it did win, it wasn't going to be a blow out by 10 car lengths.
The COTA lap time was more disappointing to me.
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The big differentiator is handling, not so much 0-60 and 1/4 mile.
It under 6 hours old.
What COTA laptime?
xponents
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xponents
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Honestly, this kind of puts the nail in the coffin for me regarding the sapphire. I know it’s better than the model s, but if I was in the market for both, I would not be able to justify the higher price.
Think about it this way; the model s has far better aftermarket support(seen unpluggeds plaid lately?) meaning it could be turned into a good track car with the suspension fixing track package and aftermarket aero/widebody. This would all probably be about 130-150k, and would likely be as good as the sapphire.
Then, the model s interior is much worse, obviously. As it would be relegated to ONLY track car duties, I still need a personal car. I could then fit a Touring or a GT in there for the same price as one sapphire.
Bam, I just got a better track car than the sapphire stock would be(yes, with the plaid mods) AND the far superior road cruiser! With the sapphire, you somewhat compromise on both(no glass roof, not much aftermarket support) but now I would have the best of both worlds.
Some of this is flawed, but does anybody else resonate with my theory? If not, why?
Think about it this way; the model s has far better aftermarket support(seen unpluggeds plaid lately?) meaning it could be turned into a good track car with the suspension fixing track package and aftermarket aero/widebody. This would all probably be about 130-150k, and would likely be as good as the sapphire.
Then, the model s interior is much worse, obviously. As it would be relegated to ONLY track car duties, I still need a personal car. I could then fit a Touring or a GT in there for the same price as one sapphire.
Bam, I just got a better track car than the sapphire stock would be(yes, with the plaid mods) AND the far superior road cruiser! With the sapphire, you somewhat compromise on both(no glass roof, not much aftermarket support) but now I would have the best of both worlds.
Some of this is flawed, but does anybody else resonate with my theory? If not, why?
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I’d want to see them race under better conditions before I concluded that. This was a wet track, the Plaid was modded (and weight removed), and so on, while the Sapphire was stock.
Give people a bit of time to get modding on the Sapphire, and we shall see.
but I’m curious to get @Bill55 and @Charley impressions too
Elon.
xponents
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I don’t dispute the sapphire is better. But is it really worth that much more than the s? To me, no considering you can get a whole another Air with that money.
I also doubt the aftermarket scene on the sapphire. The only aftermarket for the regular air was a body kit that has failed, I think. In addition, modders will be very wary of a 250k car. It costs a lot of money for a modding shop to get one on their hands and even more to fit. In comparison, the plaid is far more accessible and model s has existed for 10 years.
Its not about going fast in a straight line over a quarter mile. Its how the car handles the weight in the corners, the feedback, the confidence the car give. Lucid Sapphire tuning and technology much superior to the Model S Plaid.
Why buy a Birken hand bag for 25k when you can get a Coach hand bag for $250 that has more space? It's about how the bag makes you feel. Plaids are a dime a dozen, Sapphire is exclusive.
Well you can get a second-hand GT performance for ~$80k now.
Wonder what the second-hand market for the Sapphire will be in a couple of years? Would you buy one for $160k ?
I expect a lot of competition for the Sapphire in a few years...might drive the second-hand market down.
I feel kinda stupid for paying twice as much for my car than what it's worth...but I got to have fun on this site for a year and that's worth something. Problem with very expensive new cars is the depreciation. Boon of very expensive new cars is the depreciation. I found a cherry R129 V12 SL600. Probably the best-built Mercedes ever. Drove it 5 or 6 years. No issues at all. Sold it for same price I paid for it. I'm thinking about buying it back ... but then I remember the oil changes, etc. I'm done with ice cars.
Wonder what the second-hand market for the Sapphire will be in a couple of years? Would you buy one for $160k ?
I expect a lot of competition for the Sapphire in a few years...might drive the second-hand market down.
I feel kinda stupid for paying twice as much for my car than what it's worth...but I got to have fun on this site for a year and that's worth something. Problem with very expensive new cars is the depreciation. Boon of very expensive new cars is the depreciation. I found a cherry R129 V12 SL600. Probably the best-built Mercedes ever. Drove it 5 or 6 years. No issues at all. Sold it for same price I paid for it. I'm thinking about buying it back ... but then I remember the oil changes, etc. I'm done with ice cars.
Also, what tires did the Plaid use? Stock?
After seeing this video, I decided not to buy a Model S, I wonder what other short cuts Tesla took.
xponents
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Yes, I don’t contest that stock, the sapphire handily beats the plaid. But if I didn’t care about comfort, build quality, etc, and just wanted a track car? With the aftermarket and track pack, I bet the plaid would not be unstable as it is stock. Misha and many others that have drove track pack on the track have noted much of the driving issues are fixed. In addition, for a track car I would not care about design. After all, I would still be able to get a touring WITH the plaid!
You are comparing a modded S Plaid with a stock Sapphire with visible wet track conditions. Each run also appeared to have different conditions, regardless of lane. The noise from the Model S is certainly no reasonable trade-off.
I will hold my breath for dry conditions, stock comparison, and an actual track lap.
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For a drag strip? No, the sapphire is not worth the money over a Plaid.
If setting times on a drag strip is the only qualification, I agree with you.
If handling, space, daily driver quality, etc. are factors, then the calculus changes.
As for modding, the sapphire has existed for less than a year or so. Give it time.
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