Air

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Sedan

It's no secret that the Lucid Air is on a mission to dethrone the Tesla Model S. Already, the tri-motor version of the Air decimated the Model S' quarter-mile time, but could the Air repeat the feat around a race track where aspects such as grip, braking, and body control enter the equation?

To test out that theory, The Kilowatts posted a video on YouTube of the tri-motor Lucid Air completing a lap at Laguna Seca, the same site where a Tesla Model S, with its own tri-motor 'Plaid' powertrain, set a new record for four-door sedans with a time of one minute, 36.555 seconds.

According to The Kilowatts, the Lucid Air completed its lap in just one minute and 33 seconds. Although this is an unofficial time, 3.5 seconds seems like a big enough difference to indicate that the Air is faster, even if there was a tiny margin of error. If Lucid can confirm this time, the Air would have smashed the Model S' record.

The Kilowatts team noted that the 1:33 time was conservative and that the lap "looked like a walk in the park." Last year, Elon Musk confirmed that the powerful Plaid powertrain would make its way into the Model S. It's possible that this will be confirmed next week when Tesla announces some big news on Battery Day.

It would be a blow to Tesla if its new powertrain is upstaged prior to its official reveal. After all, Musk's team is used to shattering speed records on the world's most famous tracks.

There's more bad news for Tesla because the Lucid Air has an EPA-rated range of up to 517 miles; everyone knows that range is the holy grail of EV superiority. Then again, Tesla isn't one to back down from a challenge, so it remains to be seen if there will be an imminent response to Lucid's achievements.