So much speed.
It was less than a month ago that Koenigsegg was blasting through an abandoned airfield in Denmark, setting a new 0-400-0 km/h record. Shortly after, on November 4th, they had five new world records including an even faster 0-400-0 km/h time. All of this was achieved using the same customer Koenigsegg Agera RS with all the factory equipment.
These impressive feats were achieved with factory driver, Niklas Lilja behind the wheel on Highway 160 near Pahrump, Nevada. This public road was reserved for two days and closed to the public, however, Koenigsegg only needed until lunchtime on Day 1 to set five new records.
The customer-owned Koenigsegg Agera RS has the 1MW engine upgrade to produce 1,360 horsepower on E85 fuel. A roll cage was also installed as a standard safety precaution and is also available alongside the 1MW option to every Koenigsegg owner. The record-setting vehicle was also outfitted with the standard Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires with the Koenigsegg Aircore carbon fiber wheels. Michelin representatives were in attendance to inspect the tires after every run. What’s even more impressive is the fact that all five records were achieved using the same set of tires.
The previously, long-held and acknowledged top speed record for a production vehicle was the Bugatti Veyron with its 431.07 km/h (267.86 mph) run. Koenigsegg used a stretch of highway and did two runs – one in each direction – due to the changing topography. The north-westerly run saw a top speed of 457.49 km/h (284.55 mph). The south-easterly run resulted in a 436.44 km/h (271.19 mph) speed. The average between the two runs was 446.97 km/h (277.87 mph) – a new world record.
The top speed runs and the other record-setting runs were recorded by Vbox data-logging equipment supplied by Racelogic with a Racelogic representative on site to verify the data and install the equipment.
This top speed average from the Koenigsegg Agera RS beat the Bugatti Veyron by almost 16 km/h (10 mph).
The other impressive record that was the 0-400-0 km/h record run that beat their previously-held record, set in October with the same Agera RS. In Nevada, Koenigsegg beat the record with a 0-400-0 km/h time of just 33.29 seconds, using only 2,239.5 meters to achieve the feat. The 0-400 km/h acceleration took just 24.0 seconds and 1,740.2 meters to reach while the 400-0 km/h deceleration took 9.29 seconds and 499.3 meters. The result was 33.29 seconds – a 3.15-second and 201.5-meter improvement.
Next up in the list of world records that Koenigsegg has broken is the highest average speed for a flying kilometer on a public road. This record was first set by Mercedes-Benz on January 29th, 1938 by Rudolf Caracciola. Driving a modified Mercedes W125 race car on the German autobahn between Frankfurt and Dormstadt, Caracciola recorded an average speed of 432.7 km/h (268 mph).
For the Koenigsegg Agera RS world record, the flying kilometers were recorded in both directions during the top speed runs. A total of 11 kilometers was used and the measurement took place between the kiliomters 5 and 6 for both directions. In the south-easterly direction an average speed of 435.08 km/h (270.4 mph) was recorded while the north-westerly direction was an average speed of 456 km/h (283.4 mph). The average of both was 445.54 km/h (276.9 mph), besting the 1938 run by 12.84 km/h.
Just like Caracciola, Koenigsegg recorded a flying mile on the same day as the flying kilometer run. The Mercedes W125 hit a 432.4 km/h (268.74 mph) average speed. Koenigsegg recorded an average speed of 454.63 km/h (282.55 mph) average speed in the north-westerly direction while the south-easterly direction saw a 434.7 km/h (270.17 mph) average speed. In total, the two runs averaged 444.66 km/h (276.36 mph) – an increase of 12.26 km/h over the Mercedes W125 in 1938.
The fifth record set by the Koenigsegg Agera RS on November 4th was the highest speed ever driven on a public road. In 1938, the Mercedes-Benz Rekordwagen set a record of 432.7 km/h on a public road. During its north-westerly run, Lilja hit a speed of 457.49 km/h (284.55 mph) in the Agera RS – a 24.79 km/h improvement over the Mercedes-Benz Rekordwagen.
It’s unknown how long these five records will stand, but for now, the small company from Sweden with big dreams has taken down the biggest names in the automotive world in one fell swoop.
Koenigsegg Agera RS World Record Runs Gallery
Photography Credit: Steven Wade
Source: Koenigsegg
Do you think the five world records set by Koenigsegg with the Agera RS will be broken anytime soon?
