It wasn’t all that long ago that the folks at Bugatti promised the seemingly unthinkable, revealing plans to break the 1,000-horsepower mark with their Veyron ultracar. Now, for those who think that isn’t quite enough muscle for the delay commute, the Swedish automaker Koenigsegg is weighing in with the Agera One:1.
Making its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show today, the fighter jet-like Agera will deliver an astonishing 1322 horsepower – 1340 in metric terms – and 1,011 pound-feet of torque. Koenigsegg, which is using the new model to celebrate its 20th anniversary, claims the Agera will be able to top out at 280 mph.
On paper, at least, that suggests what the Swedish maker calls “the world’s first megacar” will also be the planet’s fastest production vehicle. Currently, that title is up in the air, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport officially recognized for its 269.86 mph record run, but with a Hennessey Venom GT nudging out an ever so slightly faster 270.49 mph run that remains a matter of dispute.
Technically, the Agera One:1 likely won’t ever own the record because the arbiters of speed say a manufacturer must produce at least 30 vehicles to qualify. Koenigsegg plans to produce just six of the megacars.
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If you’re wondering about the One:1 name, it represents the fact that the new Agera delivers a power-to-weight ratio of one horsepower per kilogram, which puts it somewhere in space shuttle territory.
It manages to deliver all that grunt out of a twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter V-8, power being channeled through a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox to all four wheels. An electronically-controlled differential helps ensure maximum grip.
Founded in 1994 by Christian von Koenigsegg, the company rolled out its first street-legal machine eight years later, but is probably best known for the CCX introduced in 2006. An updated version, the CCXR, was later named one of the 10 most beautiful cars ever built by Forbes magazine.
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Usually content to roll out a handful of exotics, Koenigsegg made headlines when, in 2009, it entered the bidding war in an attempt to purchase floundering Saab, which was going to be either sold off or shuttered by parent General Motors. Ultimately, another exotic maker, the Dutch Spyker, acquired Saab, only to see the company go bankrupt two years later.
After that failed effort to go more mainstream, Koenigsegg returned to the supercar segment.
To pull the Agera One:1 together, the company is using some decidedly cutting-edge technologies. It turned to 3D printing, for several components, including the car’s titanium exhaust.
The Agera One:1 continues Koenigsegg’s design strategy of using lightweight carbon fiber for both body and chassis, though it claims a new production method has helped it reduce mass by another 20%.
Designed as much for the track as the street, the maker is equipping the car with F1-level real-time active telemetry gear so an owner can learn just how well they handled the freeway on-ramp or lapped the Nurburgring.
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The Agera One:1 is equipped with an area of active body controls that include automatic ride height and suspension stiffness. There’s also a fully active aero system with independent left and right front flaps and a hydraulically actuated dual plane rear wing. Among other things, that creates over 1,300 pounds of downforce at 160 mph and helps deliver a blistering 2 Gs of cornering on street-legal tires.
If you feel the need for all that speed, you might need to cash in your 401k considering the Koenigsegg Agera One:1 will command a price tag of nearly $2.9 million. Then again, keep your money in the bank. The maker says all six copies are already spoken for.
