Ever since Bugatti unveiled the Chiron, we've been anxiously waiting for a new top speed world record for production cars from the French automaker. But, we didn't get it. Instead, Bugatti set a new record for accelerating from 0 to 400 kph and coming back to a stop, achieving it in 41.96 seconds. Pretty impressive, huh? Well, it was for a little more than a month, because Koenigsegg just smashed that record by a whopping five seconds. Specifically, an Agera RS supercar was driven by Niklas Lilja to 400 kph (248.5 mph) from a standing start and then back to a full stop in only 36.44 clicks.
The record was set on October 1, 2017, at Vandel Airfield in Denmark. The Agera RS took 26.88 seconds to accelerate to 400 kph over a distance of 1,958 meters (1.21 miles, while deceleration took 9.56 seconds over 483 meters (0.3 miles). The total distance used for the 0-to-400-to-0 kph run was 2,441 meters (1.51 miles). During another run, the Swedish supercar hit 403 kph (250.4 mph) and came to a halt after 37.28 seconds, also faster than the Chiron. The Agera RS used for this record is a stock production model destined for delivery in the United States. Powered by the familiar 5.0-liter V-8 rated at 1,360 horsepower and 1,011 pound-feet of torque, the car is equipped with the optional and removable roll cage.
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Why it Matters
Well, this record won't make the Agera RS better than it is, and I'm fully aware that it's a downright spectacular supercar. Koenigsegg is also aware of that, but the Swedish firm actually admitted that it wanted to verify the car's performance in comparison to other manufacturers. And, it seems that Bugatti's record came just in time and helped Koenigsegg benefit from a lot of hype. Beating a Bugatti was impossible in just about every department until now, so the Agera RS scored quite an astonishing benchmark that will probably leave some Chiron owners bitter. And, needless to say, the customer who will take delivery of this supercar will be very happy to own the Agera RS that wrote an important page in supercar history. It will probably become very valuable too.
References
Koenigsegg Agera RS
Read our full review on the 2015 Koenigsegg Agera RS.
Read our full review on the 2018 Bugatti Chiron.