With summer having receded and the cooler autumn season started, car companies are probably trying to finish off their test runs before it gets too cold. At the Rada military airfield deep in the forests of Sweden, Koenigsegg recently put a Regera to a 0 – 400 – 0 km/h run that took 31.49 seconds and set a new world record.
The time was 1.8 seconds faster than Koenigsegg’s previously unbeaten record, set by the Agera RS in 2017. CEO and founder Christian von Koenigsegg believes that the car can perform even better under the right conditions.
Actually, the conditions were perfect – sunny with almost no wind. The 2,000-metre long track was a disused military airfield at 70 metres above seas level. To have enough runway, a stretch of taxiway was used as the starting area in order to gain an extra length of around 300 metres to make the run long and safe enough.
More ideal times possible
The total distance used for 0 – 400 – 0 km/h was 2048.46 metres. In better conditions, a total length of under an unbelievable 2000 metres should be fully achievable with the Regera.
However, as the runway has been unused and dormant, the surface was not great for traction. Furthermore, it was not possible to drive in a straight line as some bumps had to be avoided. Low grip level, swerving around bumps and general unevenness therefore took away some milliseconds and better acceleration.
One-of-a-kind Direct Drive transmission
“This was a good opportunity to showcase the true capability of the Regera’s one-of-a-kind Direct Drive transmission. As the Regera only has one gear, we had to make use of it from standstill to the record top speed of 403 km/h limited by rpm,” he said, adding that the car was driven by Koenigsegg factory driver Sonny Persson.
“Priority has been given to acceleration and drivability between 0 – 400 km/h – no more, no less. At any given time, the Regera can and will accelerate harder in that speed range than any other production car known to us,” von Koenigsegg said.
“What was really impressive was how incredible the Regera brakes – 8.62 seconds from 400 km/h to 0 km/h is just unheard of. It is a testament to the Regera’s balance, suspension, aerodynamics and of course its in-house design and built Koenigsegg brake calipers. The proven numbers now show the greatness of the Regera. Having said that, we know we can improve these already impressive numbers on a track with better conditions,” he said.
The car used for the run was a fully homologated production car with its luxurious fittings and seats still intact. The only modifications were a roll cage and a 4-point harness for driver safety.
“The car reaches its top speed like there is no tomorrow, but then there are no more gears. This actually suits the philosophy behind the Regera, which is ‘whoever gets to 400 km/h first wins.”
Christian von Koenigsegg
Twin turbo V8 with 3 motors
The Regera combines a powerful twin-turbo V8 combustion engine with three electric motors and cutting-edge battery power in a patent-pending powertrain technology called Koenigsegg Direct Drive. This revolutionary technology removes the traditional gearbox, making the Regera lighter, more efficient and more fun to drive than more normal hybrid solutions.
Almost two years ago, Koenigsegg set a new 0 – 400 – 0 km/h record using a production Agera RS in the US state of Nevada. That record was a fantastic 33.29 seconds and this time around, the Regera got to show what it is made of.
