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I've been reading all the responses to this post and there are still some people who just don't quite get it. First - if you're a Porsche person and logging on to this site, you understand why someone buys a Porsche . The Taycan just happens to be an electric Porsche, but its still a Porsche. And all of you who would consider spending $140,000+ to buy an unproven car like a Lucid, need to take a step back and figure out what you're tying to do. If you want a car, get a Taycan or the Mercedes. If you want a computer that poses as a car, get the Tesla. And if you like going to Las Vegas - get the Lucid. I was the last person on earth who would consider an electric car - but I am thrilled with my Taycan 4S - which to me is simply an electric Porsche. It drives like one, looks like one, and also happens to have 4 doors. I have the regular battery pack and when I take it on the road, it's range is similar to my bladder. And yes I put up with charging in Walmart parking lots because they're easy to find, and I'm gone in 20 minutes. Bottom line - if you're buying a car - this is a simple decision.
I've been reading all the responses to this post and there are still some people who just don't quite get it. First - if you're a Porsche person and logging on to this site, you understand why someone buys a Porsche . The Taycan just happens to be an electric Porsche, but its still a Porsche. And all of you who would consider spending $140,000+ to buy an unproven car like a Lucid, need to take a step back and figure out what you're tying to do. If you want a car, get a Taycan or the Mercedes. If you want a computer that poses as a car, get the Tesla. And if you like going to Las Vegas - get the Lucid. I was the last person on earth who would consider an electric car - but I am thrilled with my Taycan 4S - which to me is simply an electric Porsche. It drives like one, looks like one, and also happens to have 4 doors. I have the regular battery pack and when I take it on the road, it's range is similar to my bladder. And yes I put up with charging in Walmart parking lots because they're easy to find, and I'm gone in 20 minutes. Bottom line - if you're buying a car - this is a simple decision.
How can you compare lucid air to Porsche with it's heritage and history and reliability. Please, do buy and let us know how it all works out. I for one will watch from my GTS ST.
I saw a Lucid several months ago on display in a Scottsdale, AZ mall and my first impression was that it's large, square and not really attractive looking. Then bike riding I saw one on the road a couple times -- same thoughts. It's most likely a fantastic car and the range is what we'd all like but...reliability just isn't proven yet, and with only about a dozen US service centers it'd quite the PITA to get stranded with a problem in the middle of nowhere. So Taycan would be my choice and hopefully range will improve over 1-2 years. Hard to top the proven reliability, handling and Porsche DNA.
They have a storefront in one of our local malls. I've also seen a few in the wild. The last one I saw in the wild was about a week ago. It was being flat-bedded out of a neighborhood near me...
I like the looks from the front. The aero bit where air vents out of the frunk lid is kinda neat. It'd be interesting to know how many aero points it gives. Side view looks meh - somewhat reminiscent of a recent Chrysler 300. Not a fan of the two-tone look, as to me it emphasizes the exact lines I don't like. If I were to buy one, it would be a single color. Rear deck lid is really wide when open. Looks very functional. Haven't actually sat in one yet.
Rawlinson is really out to prove himself. The 500 mile range is certainly a selling point. In part he got it, over say the Model S LR at ~400 miles, by increasing the battery pack size. (Elon has stated numerous times he really doesn't want to go past 100 kWh - even though they easily could.) I'd also like to know more about his motor design. There was one on display at the mall store, and it is VERY compact for its power. Probably doesn't help much for power efficiency. But certainly would help with space efficiency. And that wide rear deck lid may be one of the benefits of it. No heat pump yet - so winter time heating efficiency may suffer relative to recent heat pump equipped Teslas and others.
They have deep Saudi pockets helping keep them afloat in the short- and medium-term. Long term they may get ground down by Tesla, MB, Porsche, and others. Fun to watch in any event.
Saw a Lucid cruise through a local C&C a couple weeks ago- from the front pretty interesting, but from the side and rear I felt it needed port holes as all I could think of was a Buick from my grade school days. And it is a BIG car. Think it would make more sense as a hatchback rather than that weird huge trunk opening, but we all know what Americans think of wagons and hatchbacks unfortunately.
Yeah you're right but it sure looks bigger than the Taycan...
Lucid has so much more volume above the belt line. Much more passenger and cargo space too. But the respective design teams don’t appear to have had the same goals.
I’d be concerned about Lucid’s long-term viability as an independent entity too, their Saudi owners’ deep pockets notwithstanding…
I have deposits down for both a Lucid Air Grand Touring @ $139k as well as the Porsche Taycan ST GTS, my build coming in at a hefty~$165.
Having said that, I'm also leery of the Porsche GTS.
...
Let's see if I understand your concerns: you are weary of a car from a company which has a championship pedigree as compared to a car from a company which has zero history...other than a CEO who cut his teeth at Jaguar (OK, later he was at Tesla. Both cases, the bar is pretty low, isn't it?)
I have complained bitterly about Porsche. But I will take a Porsche over any other vehicle. 'nuff said?
I was also interested in the Lucid, had a deposit on the car, drove the car and thought it seemed a little pokey but acceptable, interior seemed a little quirky but acceptable, and of course the range was unbelievable. And then I totally stumbled across the information that 60% of Lucid was owned by the innocuously named Public Investment Fund which is the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. The chairman of the fund is Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, more commonly known as MBS. He is the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and de facto ruler of the country.
I think the knowledge that buying a Lucid means you are putting money directly into the sovereign wealth fund of the guy who orchestrated the murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi should give pause to any person with a conscience. This is not to mention the horrendous human rights abuses--oppression of women, religious minorities, LGBT people, etc...--the suffering of millions of people perpetuated by Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud inside his own country which, again, should give great pause to anyone with a conscience.
On a more personal note, I'm gay. Because Saudi Arabia's legal system is based on Sharia law, it is one of 10 countries in the world that has the death penalty as punishment for LGBT people. MBS is absolute ruler of the country and could end all of this oppression of women, religious minorities, and LGBT people with the stroke of a pen. But he chooses not to do that. No effing way I'm giving that son of a bitch any of my money.
Last edited by ABVW; 08-01-2022 at 04:47 PM.
Reason: edited to break into paragraphs for easier reading
Interesting this topic came up again, I had the opportunity to arrange a test drive of the Lucid Air Gran Turismo trim thanks to a friend who already has ordered a car, went to the Lucid showroom in Beverly Hills where I was greeted by the sales associate who gave me a quick tour of their flagship showroom and then had a nice half hr test drive on a combination of freeway and local streets, both on horrible as well as smooth pavement:
My overall thoughts on the test drive: I was always kind of a fan of the Lucid Air from the first articles and reviews I watched on the internet, and I'll be honest if I was looking for a larger luxury EV sedan with some performance capabilites but the primary focus was to ride in style, comfort with good interior and storage design befitting of a dedicated new EV platform, the Air ranks high on my list, easily over the Benz EQS or the Tesla Model S. I feel like the car strikes a pretty good balance between luxury and performance. The exterior looks are take it or leave but I've grown to really like the exterior design quirks. Some call it a snooze fest and even I thought the same when I first saw one in person but now I grown to like it's low key more alien looks. At least it sets itself apart from the endless sea of Tesla's out there
05-22-2022, 03:49 PM
Get Serious
