This year’s edition of the prestigious Geneva Motor Show has been geared towards vehicles boasting a six figure price tag, or at least dominated by them, and that trend was illuminated by Koenigsegg more than most.
The Koenigsegg Regera is a hybrid by definition only – you wouldn’t see it on the same platform as a Prius – but a V8 engine and trio of electric motors mean it does, technically, fit in the same category. When it comes to transmission the Koenigsegg Direct Drive or (KDD) will reduce potential lost energy of 50%. It is a vehicle so wildly incredible that it's hard to know where to start, but as good a place as any is probably the jaw-dropping 1085bhp at 7800rpm produced by the top-draw twin-turbocharged V8 engine. Just pick yourself up from that, and get ready to be bowled back over as the stunning statistics don’t end there. The electric motors will offer 697bhp, which means that in total the Regera will be brimming with 1782bhp and torque of 1549lb ft. You might not need us to tell you that these figures mean that what you’re seeing here is the single-most powerful vehicle in production to-date.
The Swedish manufacturer revealed not one asphalt burning titan-of-the-road, but two. The Agera RS and Regera might sound phonetically identical, but that is where the similarities end with two very different dishes served up in Geneva.
Amid industry grumblings, and calls from some quarters for a London Auto Show from various corners Geneva did a pretty good defence of its status as the most circled date on motoring fans calendars. The hyper-cars that graced the floor at Geneva left many of the world’s more modest manufacturers a little star-struck, and however unfair you think that is, it’s those with the highest horse-power figures that receive the attention over the coming months, whether they deserve it or not. Geneva's crown will be resting a little more comfortably over the next few months.
In contrast to the Agera’s rugged style the Regera is far more modest in design but with an equal amount of guile. The soft-edges of the Regera look impressive and are characterized by wide air gapes and everybody’s favourite front-diffuser.
There will be an electric motor on each rear-wheel, and a par-for-the-course spoiler which is design to hit downforce of 450kg at figure around the 160mph mark. Resting on the Agera’s chassis, the Regera is designed from a number of finite carbon-fibre materials which all aid the agility and performance.
We only have Koenigsegg’s word for how powerful the vehicle is, but the Regera already threatens to attract some worrysome glances from the world's super-car heavyweights. The Regera will accelerate from 0-62mph in a reported 2.8 seconds with the everest figure of 250mph attainable apparently in under twenty seconds. As they say, the proof will be in the pudding but it’s a treat looking mighty-tasty at the minute.
We can’t be the only ones that would love to get their hands on Koenigsegg’s 2016 party-piece, but if you REALLY want one you’ll have to be quick. And Loaded. There will only be eighty produced; four have been sold already, and each racks up an individual cost of £1.23m.
