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Agera RS Sets New 0-400-0 km/h World Record

By Zlatan Stankovic on October 20, 2017

Not so long ago, everybody was talking about the Bugatti Chiron and how they beat the 0-400-0 km/h world record. In the coming weeks, they enjoyed the attention but now this is set to come to an end after the Koenigsegg Agera RS went even faster. In fact, they smashed the record and shaved five seconds off the time (and all this without the backing of the VW Group).

At first, experts were a little worried because the surface on the Danish airfield was slippery. In addition to this, it was covered in awkward expansion joints alongside the WW2-era concrete. However, those worries soon vanished after the Agera RS got off to a flying start. In the first leg of the challenge, the car needs to reach 400km/h which the Swedes managed in 26.88 and this gave them an early lead.

As soon as the car hits 400km/h, the challenge is to slow right down to a stop and this took them a little over ten seconds. Therefore, the Agera RS finished with a total time of 37.28 seconds; FIVE seconds faster than the Bugatti.

In the time it took for the Agera RS to reach 400km/h, it traveled nearly 2,000 meters (nearly 6,500 feet). After hitting the mark, it took just over ten seconds to come to a halt and this required another 500 meters (1,600 feet) of the airfield.

The Agera RS - Within the test, a 1,000 kW model was used and this allowed for horsepower of around 1,360. Luckily, for somebody in the US, it’s actually already got an owner and they’re going to get a very special gift in the post very soon.

Initially, the test was supposed to take place in Germany but the weather was poor and the organizers needed to make a quick change. After assessing the options, they eventually decided upon the largest solar farm in Scandinavia since this allowed for the right conditions and the right amount of space. For Koenigsegg, the last-minute change scuppered their preparation somewhat since they only found out 12 hours before the model left the factory. However, this didn't seem to affect them at all and we can see this from the times.

Behind the wheel, Niklas Lilja was responsible for the record and he slowly built up to the fast run over the course of the day. With no time restrictions, Lilja was allowed to get used to the car and learn how to get the best from the machine. All day, he was busy making slight adjustments and corrections to the wheel which was giving just as good as it took. On the first three gear changes especially, this is always an important section of the challenge and he mastered it on the run that led to the record time.

Just imagine what he could have done if the conditions hadn't have been slippery! Will Bugatti come back for more? Can they pull five seconds from thin air? Although we can’t answer these, we’d certainly love to see the battle continue over the next few months.

Tags: KoenigseggKoenigsegg CCXhypercarsRecords