Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance Offers 1050 HP

Not content with its current menu of record range-offering four-doors, Lucid reveals details of yet another version of the Air sedan, targeting ambitious performance numbers.

Dubbed the Air Grand Touring Performance, this version of the dual-motor sedan promises 1050 hp along with 0-to-60-mph blasts in just 2.6 seconds, while still offering an EPA-estimated range of 446 miles.

Where does this version of the Air fit in the brand's lineup?

Just below the Air Dream Edition Performance variant, which boasts 1111 hp and ranges of 451 to 471 miles depending on wheel size, and above the Grand Touring model with 819 hp, 3.0-second whooshes to 60, and a range of up to 516 miles.

The Grand Touring Performance trades some of that range for a bit more power, meant to fill the role of the 1000-plus horsepower version, but without the limited production number of the Air Dream Edition Performance model—capped at 520 units, all of which have been spoken for.

This particular addition to Lucid's lineup also appears to be aimed directly at the 1020-hp Tesla Model S Plaid, while delivering almost 100 extra miles of range over the Tesla's 348 miles—that's Lucid's trump card.

Where the Lucid sedan loses some ground to Tesla is the latter's Ludicrous acceleration: 2.1 seconds in the Plaid versus the 2.6 seconds in the Grand Touring Performance model as both sprint from 0 to 60.

"Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance answers the strong demand we continue to see for higher-performance versions of the Lucid Air," said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Group. "The remarkable speed with which we are able to conceive and bring this model to market is possible only because of Lucid’s high degree of vertical integration and in-house production of our proprietary EV powertrain and battery pack technology."

We couldn't help but notice these numbers also bring the Lucid model ludicrously close to yet another four-door, albeit with a much greater curb weight. The GMC Hummer EV is a card-carrying member of the 1000-hp club as well, promising 0-to-60 launches in three seconds flat. At some point we're probably going to see a video of a drag race involving all three contestants, with one probably making excuses for its lack of aerodynamics and for having had a big breakfast in explaining its 9000-pound curb weight. That drag race should be quite a sight, albeit a very quiet one, except for tire squeal.

The Air Grand Touring Performance will serve up 21-inch wheels as standard, over the 19-inch rims that give the Grand Touring model its range edge. That difference is not insignificant, at least on paper, with the 19-inch Grand Touring model boasting a 516-mile range, while the 21-inch version will only go 469 miles.

How much will a 1050-hp Air Grand Touring Performanceset you back once deliveries start in June of this year?

Lucid says the Air Grand Touring Performance will have an MSRP of $180,500, which will place it above the $140,500 starting price of the Air Grand Touring, but certainly not out of reach of those considering a Lucid Air in the first place. Odds are, shoppers will view the extra horsepower and stopwatch time as a tradeoff for a little extra range.

The question is: Will buyers realize the version they're driving has 1050 hp instead of 819, as in the standard Air Grand Touring model?