Koenigsegg->ke43 does things a little differently than the other hypercar makes, and the world is better for it. Engineering mastermind and company founder Christian Von Koenigsegg’s dream of the perfect hypercar->ke177 is a real, gurgling pack of 100 blood-thirsty savages. His reality rolls out of the company's aircraft hangar facility and into the dreams of gearheads worldwide.

Skillful tweaking of the Koenigsegg hypercar package leads to the Agera S Hundra, the company’s hundredth customer vehicle and rolling showcase for all that is right in the world. A rough calculation of 10 years in business over 100 cars shows that these stunners aren’t born overnight: in fact, it takes more than 36 days to build each car from scratch. Is it worth it? Oh yes, and then some. This Koenigsegg is every bit as spectacular as the latest Pagani->ke66 and Bugatti->ke16 models, and even innovates dozens of clever technical achievements yet to be included by their southern European rivals.

This Agera S Hundra customer car shipped right from Geneva to its new home with a wealthy Chinese gentleman. However, your own version of the Agera S model is available now, with numero 101 baking in the autoclave as we speak.

Click past the jump for the full review of Koenigsegg’s shockingly desirable Agera S Hundra, a full image gallery, and detailed explanations of the key technical marvels that make this Koenigseggs’s best dream car yet.

Exterior

The looks of the Agera S Hundra match the template we’ve come to expect from the Swedish dream-weavers. In this specification, the car is done up in exposed-weave carbon Kevlar with gold leaf accents. It’s a flashy paintjob that ensures this car is forever a very unique example.

Beneath the tasteless visage lies Koenigsegg’s elegant, minimalist body shape that is handsome and forceful but friendly on first viewing. There’s little of the fear and intimidation factor that makes the Lamborghini Veneno so striking, and the Agera S is better for it.

So, is it an old body shape? It’s easy to think it looks too familiar to be all new, but in fact, the looks of the latest Agera models are very different from the initial CC8 models, especially in the nose and tail detailing, the aerodynamics and lighting. The Agera S implements the latest LED styles tastefully and also includes aero spats and carbon-fiber vents on the top of the fenders. The brand-new Aircore carbon-fiber, center-locking wheels set off the exposed carbon bodywork nicely to show that this car is truly a cost-is-no-object thrill ride.

The Agera S keeps the features that make this shape legendary. The parabolic doors still prop up and outward on damped struts, the roof still fits in the front trunk to turn coupe into chic spyder, and the gorgeously plump dual helmet shapes still surge from the sky-lit roof rearward over the engine compartment.

Overall it is one of the most lasting and attractive mid-engine hypercar styling exercises to date. One look at the Bugatti Veyron’s fat midsection instantly shows off how well Koenigsegg got the fundamental shape correct. Why stick to this styling mode? The pre-preg carbon fiber tub dictates a lot of the car’s outward appearance, and its strength has gotten Koenigsegg from 0 mph up to cruising via its (likely) best-on-earth 65,000 Nm/degree torsional rigidity.

Interior

Entering the Koenigsegg is easier than most because those doors open a wide path to do the butt-first, feet-next supercar intro routine. Once inside, comfort is easy via the adjustable racing seats, steering column and pedals. This is especially critical because the Swedes are some of the world’s tallest individuals, and the Chinese some of the shortest. This equation works out well for pro athletes and others that are simply too big for the Italian stallions.

The Agera S’ interior is an aesthetic feast for the senses but updates some of the previous models brightwork (around the telephone dial console buttons, for example) for muted grey suede with yellow accents.

Numerous tech enhancements make this the best Koenigsegg yet for driver comfort and safety.

The Agera S packs dual airbags, dual auto climate control, optional heated seats, a funky flat-bottom steering wheel with button controls on the spokes, satnav with integrated G-meter and TPMS, a configurable and super-bright TFT info center ahead of the driver, and audio integration via USB. Leather wraps the entire interior down to the leather floor mats and the removable roof features tasteful quilted stitching on the underside that matches the standard roof storage bag. Keeping on-theme, Koenigsegg offers custom fitted luggage and will, obviously, do it in any color a customer chooses.

Other cool optional extras are winter-themed: snow wheels and tires, heated seats and a Thule-style aero roof box for extra bags, skis or snowboards.

Drivetrain

Brace yourself, as this is where the Agera S stops being a friendly showpiece, and starts its fire-breathing runs up and down the company’s extra-long bomber runways. The DOHC 32-valve V-8 is now 5 liters with twin turbochargers and dry-sump lubrication. Koenigsegg has teased a cam-less valvetrain technology for future models, but the Agera S Hundra sticks with sequential port injection to match its fuel mission.

Versus the nearly-identical Agera R, the S model is designed to run on pure gasoline, not E85. While promising 10 less total horsepower, the difference in real life will be extremely subtle because that’s less than a 1-percent drop in the 1,030-horsepower bucket.

The electronic systems for the car are a real step forward for all vehicles by using a fire-proof, lightweight lithium-iron (not lithium-ion) battery and solid-state digital semiconductors for everything that would be fuse or relay-operated in a normal car. These systems pack major reliability and safety advantages during the hard use that hypercars endure.

Feeding the engine are carbon-fiber intakes, fuel tanks built into the tub for safety, and ceramic-coated Iconel aero exhaust out back just above the bumper.

Drivetrain Specifications

Suspension and Brakes

The Agera S Hundra has two-way adjustable gas-hydraulic pushrod dampers pushing double wishbones at all four corners, plus an inboard hydraulic jack to lift the car for easy wheel changes. The ride height is electronically adjustable and mounts to a chromoly steel subframe up front and the semi-stressed engine and gearbox out back. The rear suspension is a work of art in its own right, looking racecar cool when exposed under the rear clamshell.

The brakes on the Agera S Hundra are ventilated ceramic discs front and rear, grabbed by six-piston calipers up front and four-piston units in back. The dimensions of the disc brakes are another world’s-best contender: 15.6 inches up front and 14.9 inches in rear. An F1-style ABS and traction management system offers five modes of adjustable assistance.

Driving Impressions

Driving the Agera S Hundra is suitably awesome. The engine has a deep, bassy baritone just off idle and extremely fast rpm build. The turbochargers show impressively short response time plus a wicked hiss from the blow-off valves.

Koenigsegg has worked extremely hard to refine the track handling of its hypercars, following the Top Gear episode when the CCX spat the Stig off the track on the show's high-speed ‘follow-through’ corner.

Despite the BBC hosts self-praise for the CCX’s new spoiler, making a car as fast as a Koenigsegg stable at speed required a lot more than a rear wing. Koenigsegg’s team has improved the engine management, suspension geometry, the stability control systems, added a new E-Diff and also a different tire setup. The resulting advancements make Koenigsegg’s latest cars friendlier to drive on a track than anything else with 1000-plus rear-wheel horsepower.

Pricing

Available in left-hand-drive or right and available in the U.S., the Agera S is priced at around $1.5 million before visual customization. The Hundra shown here rang in at $1.6 million due to its hideous optional paint job.

Factory-refreshed used Koenigseggs are a great intro to the brand due to a new car's extremely long and difficult build process plus the updates Koenigsegg performs on pre-owned cars. Used models ship from Sweden looking and feeling brand new.

Competition

2011 Pagani Huayra

The Pagani employs one of the best V-12s ever made via the twin-turbo AMG unit mounted mid-ship. The interior uses more CNC milled and 3D-printed titanium components, plus has exposed shift linkage. The waiting list for a Pagani is even longer than at Koenigsegg: more than three years at last tally.

2013 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse WRC Limited Edition

The Veyron is Goliath to Koenigsegg's David. Line the two up for a hero's drag race royale and the Bugatti driver will be surprised and frightened at the Agera S Hundra's speed and poise. No other car stays this close. While the Bugatti's quad-turbo W-16 and AWD will pull slightly ahead from 120-mph-plus, it is the Agera S driver who will have more fun.

Conclusion

The Swedish team at Koenigsegg has a new ghost mascot adorning their V-8’s engine cover and a few other places. In homage to the airbase’s former occupants, the Casper-esque mascot is somewhat emblematic of the company’s efforts since their early-2000s founding. This is no shadow factory or special-forces safe house any longer, but still Koenigsegg’s very public excellence has snuck up on some of the established hypercar greats.

With the car set up for Vmax runs, the theoretical top speed is 273 mph, more than 6 mph faster than the Veyron at Volkswagen’s private Ehra Lessen test track. Unsurprisingly, the auto giant has not allowed Koenigsegg access to timed runs at the only facility in the world with a long enough flat track to hit 250-plus speeds reliably.

Short of another world war against the German Axis, it is unlikely that the Army Corp of Engineers will lengthen the runways at Koenigsegg headquarters any time soon. Does it matter? No. The Agera S Hundra is a masterpiece that few will ever really experience.

Like seeing a ghost, the memory of a Koenigsegg is sure to linger between daydream and wild nightmare among all car guys. If only we all could experience the chills and thrills this Agera S packs as standard equipment. To the lucky few, we tip our hats for feeding our collective hypercar fantasies.