2021 Koenigsegg Regera on 2040-cars

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Koenigsegg demolishes Bugatti's brand-new 0-400kph-0 record

Last month, we told you how a Bugatti Chiron, driven by Juan Pablo Montoya, set a new record for accelerating from 0 to 400 kph (248 mph) and then braking back to 0, all done in 41.96 seconds. Well, that record didn't stand for long — it was just annihilated by a Koenigsegg. Christian von Koenigsegg decided to take a crack at the record as a means of performance-testing a new Agera RS he was about to deliver to a U.S. customer, this one with an upgraded engine making 1,360-horsepower and 1,011 pound-feet of torque. The hypercar was so factory-fresh, in fact, it still had industrial tape protecting its leading edges. After some lower-speed test runs (an Agera RS is typically tested at up to 186 mph), Koenigsegg's team took the car to Vandel, a former Danish military airbase that now serves as a big solar-energy farm, for the big run on Oct. 1. Some fascinating numbers about the record run, with factory driver Niklas Lilja at the wheel: Lilja went from 0 to 400 kph to 0 in 36.44 seconds, beating the Chiron's record by a whopping 5.52 seconds. (The Chiron's total time was 41.96.) Koenigsegg says its data show that the car engaged traction control in the first three gears, the final time at 113 mph. The car hit the 248 mph goal in 26.88 seconds over 1.21 miles. (The acceleration phase took Montoya in the Chiron 32.6 seconds.) Braking to 0 mph took 9.56 seconds and 1,584 feet. (The Chiron braked in 9.3 seconds.) Though the Agera RS' record time for 0-400-0 was was 36.44 seconds, that does not factor in the fact the car went a wee bit past 400 kph, to 403, or 250 mph, before Lilja hit the brakes. If you include that sliver of time, the overall run was 37.28 seconds. But it isn't counted in the record. Total distance covered was 1.57 miles — on a 1.7-mile runway. For more details, Koenigsegg describes the run on his blog. Related Video: Auto News Bugatti Koenigsegg Technology Coupe Performance Videos Bugatti Chiron koenigsegg agera rs juan pablo montoya

Koenigsegg shows production Gemera with TTV8 option

The Koenigsegg Gemera is taking the scenic route to production, making stops along the way that buyers will appreciate. Koenigsegg Registry attended an event to inaugurate a new production line for the Gemera, company boss Christian von Koenigsegg telling the audience the mid-engined four-seat hypercar can be optioned with the 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that powers the Koenigsegg Jesko. The V8 adds $400,000 to the price and about 500 horsepower to the spec sheet, while decreasing torque by about 500 pound-feet, the announced figures being 2,300 hp and 2,028 pound-feet of torque on E85. The TTV8 makes 1,280 hp and 738 lb-ft by itself on premium fuel, 1,600 hp on E85. The remaining output comes from the Gemera's three electric motors. The nine-speed Light Speed Transmission (LST) would also make the jump from the Jesko.  The Gemera debuted in 2020, the original spec sheet boasting 1,700 horsepower and 2,583 pound-feet of torque from a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that could get the four-seater from 0-60 miles per hour in 1.9 seconds. A turbocharged 2.0-liter inline three-cylinder called the Tiny Friendly Giant (TFG) sends 600 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque to the front axle. It's frugal enough that the company lists gas-powered range as 590 miles. Three Quark electric motors turn the rear axle, two motors for each wheel, another between the crankshaft and the Hydracoup direct-drive transmission. The axle motors each produce 500 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, the crankshaft e-motor makes 400 bhp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Their combined output in the powertrain comes to 1,100 bhp. The Gemera shown on stage at the event sported physical side mirrors instead of the cameras on the concept car. Those will be a necessity for markets like the U.S. that haven't approved digital outside mirrors yet. It's not clear if the camera system will be offered in places like Europe that do allow such.  The options sheet grows again with the addition of a Ghost Package. This installs a larger front splitter, an S-duct in place of the traditional hood, and a rear wing. Aggression and downforce get amped up, but practicality diminishes since the S-duct front end replaces the frunk. That would be a shame considering the four-season, nuclear family potential of the car. The Gemera comes with all-wheel drive, all-wheel steering and torque vectoring on both axles. The 16.6-kWh battery can power up to 31 miles of all-electric range on the WLTP cycle.

Take a listen to the Volkswagen ID 3 and Koenigsegg Jesko

What could better demonstrate our diametric vehicular future than sound clips of the Volkswagen ID 3 and the Koenigsegg Jesko? Battery-electric vehicles don't make enough noise on their own, so VW partnered with composer Leslie Mandoki for the legally-mandated Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) that warns pedestrians and cyclists of the EV's presence. Mandoki — a German-Hungarian who once played drums in a Euro disco band called Dschinghis Khan — was asked to come up with a sound for the ID 3 that VW said "defines its identity," "radiates safety and the promise of effortless mobility," and that "must also impress with its unique character." The definition of the ID 3's single-motor, 201-horsepower character is this: Occupants and people around the hatch can hear the sound as the car accelerates to 18.6 mph, and when reversing. At higher speeds, the sound of wind resistance and tire noise takes over. As our library of AVAS tones grows, it's clear that EVs will provide a soundscape as varied as that of internal combustion engines. Here, for instance, is the industrial thrum used as the Karma Revero GT's pedestrian warning: And here is the sci-fi soaring from the BMW Vision M Next, as composed by Hans Zimmer: At the other end of the aural chamber, we have the Koenigsegg Jesko. In this case, the composer is a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 running on a bio-ethanol E85 blend that's almost suitable for IndyCar, powering the engine up to 1,600 horsepower. Output on pump gas will be 'only' 1,281 hp. The Swedish automaker released a clip of the exhaust note of a car in progress inside the Angelhom factory. Here's what we can look forward to: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. All these sounds have a place at the table, even if we'd prefer Karma booked some time with a producer and an Autotune session. To paraphrase Sesame Street, though, one of these sounds is definitely not like the other.