Koenigsegg - Geneva 2015
Koenigsegg whips the covers off of the world's most powerful hybrid car
To put that into some context, the Porsche 918 Spyder, widely regarded as the most 'electric' of the three hybrid hypercars, makes do with a 6.7kwh battery and about 279hp from its motors. Whereas the McLaren P1 has just 4.7kwh and 177hp, and the LaFerrari just 2.3kwh and 170hp.
A Koenigsegg with a plug out the back?
The new wet 115kg battery pack can deliver up to 500kw to the motors and recoup around 150kw during braking. That means Koenigsegg claim a whopping 1,500hp on-demand, which leads to some pretty insane performance figures.
Koenigsegg is claiming a 0-400kph (249mph) sprint of less than 20 seconds. Yes, you read that correctly. A Veyron musters that same insane speed in 55 seconds. No word on top speed, though it'll probably be measured in warp factors instead of something so mundane as miles per hour.
Continuing the unconventional feel, the Regera doesn't attempt any four wheel-drive shenanigans as seen in the Porsche 918. And unlike the Ferrari and McLaren, it uses three individual motors to directly drive both hubs and the crank. But like those two, the Koenigsegg makes do with just RWD.
Ain't exactly stripped back in here
And finally, the weirdest fact about the Regera. Some fair warning first; if the change from manuals to paddleshifts hit you hard, you should sit down before reading the next part.
The Regera is a single-speeder, with a fixed final drive ratio and a locking hydraulic coupling between the crankshaft and the prop. No gear changes at all.
Below 30mph the electric motors do most of the work, themselves running off battery power or even being powered by the V8 uncoupled from the prop. The nature of the hydraulic coupling allows the slip to be controlled, much like a clutch, and the power from the engine comes in strongly from as little as 2,500rpm thanks to the turbos.
At cruising speeds there should be practically no transmission losses at all, with only the differential gears between the tyres and the crankshaft. And the claim of a 20-second charge to 248mph suggests that the electric motors and incredible V8 torque do an ample job of getting the Regera off the line. Top speed simply coincides with the engines 8,250rpm redline.
Yes, you heard right, just one gear...
And while there might be a little extra weight in the cabin, surprisingly the new car isn't too heavy. While other electrified offerings can tip the scales at nearly two tonnes, the Regera is 1,628kg wet and ready to drive.
And so, finally, to the other Swedish hypercar offering at Geneva, the Agera RS. Boasting lightweight componentry first developed on the One:1, it's the purest and lightest Agera yet. Detail changes to the engine and an increased rev limit ensure that it's boasting 1,160hp on 'normal' super plus unleaded, while the wet kerbweight has dropped to 1,395kg. Not quite one-to-one on hp/kg, but not too shoddy either.
The aerodynamics package is where the Agera really shines though, with new splitters, new canards, a dynamic underbody 'flap' system and an active rear wing too. The new wing alone adds 450kg of downforce at 250kph (155mph).
You can even option in active suspension, self-levelling and something called Pre-Active chassis setups. There are no details yet on prices for either model, but the initial run of Regeras will total 80 and the Agera RS is limited to 25 (of which 10 were pre-sold anyway).
It says a lot when an entirely carbon, 1,160hp hypercar plays second-fiddle in the background of a show. But that's just how amazing the Geneva show is in 2015. PistonHeads will be bringing you more throughout the week. So keep checking!
Click here for the PH Geneva news hub!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff