Electric sedan was always going to be faster from the line, but its huge weight penalty hurts it in Edmunds’ U-Drag showdown
1 hour ago
Electric sedans have been humbling sports cars on YouTube since the very first Tesla Model S appeared a dozen years ago. And the latest four-door EVs are a whole lot quicker than those early Teslas. But you can make anything accelerate quickly in a straight line if you throw enough power at it and give it enough traction to put that power cleanly to the pavement.
What happens if you then ask your musclebound EV to brake hard to get rid of all that speed, and make a tight turn at the end of the go-zone, before blasting back up the way you came? Could a car like the Air still beat a car like the Acura NSX Type S that’s lighter and more nimble, but supposedly slower?
That’s the subject of Edmunds’ latest U-Drag race, which pits the 600 hp (608 PS) NSX Type S against the 819 hp (830 PS) Air. Both are all-wheel drive, but the EV comprehensively out-torques its mid-engined rival, sending 885 lb-ft (1,200 Nm) to the ground versus 492 lb-ft (667 Nm).
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The Acura has a a few tricks of its own, though. It’s more aerodynamic, which should help it claw back some ground at higher speeds, it has a lower center of gravity, and it’s also significantly lighter. The NSX is in reality a bit of lard-ass, weighing in at 3,913 lbs (1,775 kg), but it looks like a Caterham Seven next to the 5,226 lbs (2,370 kg) Lucid.
Related: Lucid Slashes Air Prices By Up To $8,000 Joining EV Price War
In the first of three races, the Lucid, as expected, beats the Acura under acceleration, hitting 60 mph in 3.13 seconds versus 3.16 seconds, and the quarter in 10.9 seconds against 11.2 seconds. And though the NSX claws some time back under braking and when hooking around the cone at the halfway mark, recording 1.25g in cornering, compared with 1.12g for the Lucid, it’s not enough to prevent the sedan crossing the line first.
In round two, though, the tide seems to turn. The Air appears to be making less power, perhaps due to the heat generated in the first race, and it has to give second best to the NSX.
And race three? We’ll let you watch the outcome for yourself, but let’s just say that it serves as a reminder that there’s a big difference between electric cars that can go fast in certain conditions, and combustion ones that are designed as true performance cars and built to put up with having that performance unleashed again and again without complaining.