The Koenigsegg Regera’s record-setting 0-250-0 mph run was the talk of the auto world late last month, largely because the hypercar needed only 31.49 seconds to do it. Not only did the Regera establish a world record, but it did so by shattering the previous record — held by the Koenigsegg Agera RS — by almost two seconds. This new record is the kind that other automakers would die to own, but at this point, it’s become kind of old hat for a company like Koenigsegg. This is, after all, the same car brand that officially owns the fastest production car title record, among other records. The Swedish automaker provided footage of the Regera’s record-breaking run, and while it did look like the Regera could’ve waltzed its way into the record books, the same scene looks completely different from inside the hypercar. That’s the video we’re about to see and it tells a lot from the perspective of Koenigsegg factory driver Sonny Persson, the man who drove the Regera to the record books.

When you see a hypercar that’s going more than 200 mph, there’s a sense of calmness to it that makes it look it’s running at those speeds without so much as a drop of sweat. These cars make running at over 200 mph look so easy that you wonder if the driver sitting behind the wheel of the car is sipping a cup of Starbucks on one hand as he’s driving the hypercar to record-shattering speeds. It’s a nice thought, except that it also couldn’t be further from the truth.

This onboard video of the Regera during its record-setting run paints a clear picture of that. On the one hand, you can argue that there’s not much that Persson does beyond step on the gas pedal, hold the steering wheel, and let the Regera’s 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine and the three YAC electric motors take over as they combine to unleash a walloping 1,479 horsepower and 1,475 pound-feet of torque on the poor stretch of road or track the Regera finds itself in.

On the other hand, you can also argue that it’s not as easy and as simple as it sounds, especially if you’re dealing with the kind of G forces at play in a go-and-brake test that reaches over 200 mph. The truth is that negative G forces are about as pleasant to the body as anything you’ll ever experience at high speeds. There’s nothing outwardly funny about the blood from your body getting pushed downward and away from your brain. You’re going to need to be trained in the art of g forces to be able to handle the kind of pressure it puts in your body. Take a look, for example, at Persson in this cabin video of the Regera’s 0-250-0-mph record run. At first glance, it doesn’t look like he’s having that hard of a time pushing the Regera up to 250 mph. But if you know what you’re looking at, you can tell that it’s a struggle for Persson. His head, arms, and body react instantaneously the moment the Regera sets off and from there, it becomes less of a leisurely run and more a fight between Persson and the Regera as it starts to pick up speed. Notice how Persson, despite looking like he’s doing nothing, is actually fighting to keep the Regera’s steering wheel from moving too much.That’s a fight you don’t get to see from outside the car, folks.

Then there’s the moment the Regera hits 250 mph. As Persson slams the brake, his entire body jolts backward as if his body is completely pinned into the driver’s seat. That’s not a pleasant feeling, let alone when you’re decelerating from 250 mph back to a standstill position. In the end, Persson managed to set the record and, he set a lot of impressive times along the way. Mind you, this was all done in a 1,475-horsepower hypercar that only came with a roll cage and a four-point harness as safety features.

Regardless of the record, this video shows just how difficult it actually is for these drivers to accomplish them. So as we celebrate the Regera for its record-setting 0-250-0 mph run, don’t forget that it only accomplished that feat because Koenigsegg driver Sonny Persson successfully guided it throughout its run.

Koenigsegg Regera Specifications

Combustion engine power

1,100 HP on 91 octane DIN or 95 octane RON (a bit more on E85)

Combustion engine torque

921 LB-FT

Electric propulsion

700 HP

Electric torque

663 LB-FT

Battery pack

9 kWh 620 Volt, flooded liquid cooled

Combined Output

1,479 HP

Combined Torque

1,475 LB-FT


Further Reading

Read our in-depth review of the 2017 Koenigsegg Regera