Lucid gives the Air a sporty makeover and launches a new Sapphire sub-brand

Enlarge / The Lucid Air Sapphire was designed to perform around a race track. Lucid

Friday at Monterey Car Week, electric vehicle startup Lucid added a new variant to its portfolio: the Lucid Air Sapphire. It's the first of a new sub-brand for Lucid, adding even more performance to cars that were hardly underpowered to begin with. With an additional engine in the mix, the company's new car is expected to hit 60 mph (98 km/h) in under two seconds and 100 mph (160 km/h) in under four seconds while maintaining a top speed of peak over 200 mph (321 km/h). Such performance doesn't come cheap, however; when the car goes into limited production next year, it will do so with a price tag of $249,000.

The inspiration for the car's color and name came from American racing history.

“Sapphire is the epitome of what high-performance luxury means to Lucid. [It] is among the most beloved gemstones, valued for its brilliance, color and hardness,” said Derek Jenkins , SVP of Brand and Design. at Lucide. "Imperial Blue has long been the de facto national color of American motorsport teams competing internationally. As Lucid's dedicated ultra-high performance brand, Sapphire references this history while setting new standards in of innovation and technology."

Enlarge / The new seats seem more comfortable. Lucid

In addition to the blue paint, the Air Sapphire has a sportier interior than its siblings. That means black leather and Alcantara, with heavily bolstered seats to hold you in place while experiencing sideways Gs. And there is a rather large spoiler at the rear which prevents the car from generating lift at high speeds.

The technical changes that make an Air a Saphir are less visible. Obviously, there is the addition of a third engine; the front axle retains a single motor drive unit, but the rear drive unit contains one motor for each rear wheel.

This new dual-motor drive unit can even apply torque vectoring, applying positive torque to one wheel and negative torque to the other. In slow corners, the powertrain can apply power to the outside rear wheel in a turn while regeneratively braking the inside rear wheel, helping the car turn faster. However, Lucid has not yet provided exact horsepower or torque for the new release.

Enlarge / A cutaway view of the Lucid Air Sapphire Rear Drive Unit. Lucid

Our Air Sapphire briefing might even be the first time I've heard an EV company talk about the thermal efficiency of their friction brakes. The massive carbon ceramic discs are designed to bring the car back to a stop nearly three times the legal limit, assuming you have a track or are in Germany to test it. It also rolls on bigger, stickier tires and stiffer, retuned suspension.

“Our goal with this first Sapphire model is to complement the exceptional powertrain with more precise and responsive driving dynamics and increased body control. At the same time, it was important to retain the...