What makes a supercar a supercar? Is it their large and powerful engines, or the fact that they cost hundreds of thousands of dollars? Is it because they are made from high-tech materials and feature the latest in automotive technology or because they are produced in extremely limited numbers? Well it’s probably a mixture of all those things, and more, but if there was any definitive supercar, it would probably be the Koenigsegg Regera.
The year was 1994 and the world was rapidly changing. It was also the year that Christian von Koenigsegg established his high-end car company. Everyone was extremely skeptical about a Swedish supercar brand, however Koenigsegg proved that Sweden could make world-class cars. They have released a variety of vehicles over the years, produced in extremely limited quantities, and the Regera is their newest model. It’s a $1.9 million dollar hybrid-hypercar that is arguably the pinnacle of automotive engineering. It has virtually every imaginable aspect that makes it great automobile, and it might potentially be one of the highest-performing vehicles ever imagined. In fact, Koenigsegg exclaims that the Regera will be the fastest accelerating and most powerful production vehicle ever. Those are bold claims, but could they actually be true?
It all starts with the vehicles name, which literally means “to reign” in Swedish. From just looking at the Regera, you can tell that you are dealing with a vehicle that’s unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’s sporty, aggressive, and you know that every single curve of its body was accounted for by engineers to ensure that it is aerodynamic. It may not be the “prettiest” car ever designed, but it’s not trying to be. It’s try to be the fastest.
The vehicles most distinct feature are its engines and powertrain. The Regera features a powerful, twin-turbocharged V8 engine and three, yes three, electric motors that work simultaneously together to deliver unbelievable levels of power. The combustion engine provides power to the wheels in a traditional manner, two electric engines drive the rear wheels and help with torque vectoring, and the last electric engine acts as a torque filler, generators, and as the starting motor for the car. Koenigsegg exclaims that those combined engines will offer well over 1,500 hp in total and over 2,000 Nm of torque. Those numbers are unprecedented for a car. Koenigsegg says the vehicle has a top speed of 255 mph and that it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds.
But arguably the most impressive feature about the Regera is the transmission. Instead of traditional transmissions seen on most supercars, Christian von Koenigsegg and his team of engineers worked to develop the Koenigsegg Direct Drive System, a completely new and revolutionary transmission that could change the world forever. The KDD is actually a single-speed fixed gear transmission, something that has never been seen before, especially on a supercar. Their KDD system in the Regera allows for it to be able to accelerate at insane speeds, in addition to reducing weight.
In addition to the Regera’s unimaginable levels of speed, power, and technical finesse, you also get an extremely luxurious driving machine. The interior of the vehicle goes above and beyond expectations. It’s minimalistic, clean, and understated yet comfortable and very premium. Sitting in the vehicle will make you forget for a brief second that you’re operating one of the most powerful and complex driving machines ever created. The interior cabin has added soundproofing, there’s memory foam within the seats, the 9-inch display panel acts as the central control hub, it has a high-end surround sound system, ambient lighting, Apple CarPlay capabilities, and much more. The Regera is not a utilitarian driving machine, it’s pure art.
Now we will have to wait and see if the Regera actually performs like Koenigsegg exclaims, as they are still not released just yet. The Koenigsegg Regera is expected to go on-sale sometime in early 2016, however you may have some difficulties acquiring one. First of all, it costs $1.9 million dollars before taxes and added options. Additionally, in true Koenigsegg fashion, the company will only be producing just 80 examples. That’s it. Buying this car will be difficult for sure, however if you actually manage to get one, you will have one of the greatest production cars of all-time.
The Good
The Koenigsegg Regera is more-or-less the pinnacle of automotive engineering. It pushes the envelope in terms of technology, power, performance, and features. While we still need to wait for 3rd-party performance tests, the Regera is set to be one of the fastest production cars of all-time. It’s hybrid system with multiple engines and its single-speed gearbox are technical achievements that will most likely revolutionize cars at we know it. When you’re talking about true “supercars” or “hypercars”, the Regera is poised to be the best of the best.
The Okay
There are very few negative things to say about this car really, as it just seems quite perfect. However the vehicles exterior design is probably the most “okay-est” part about it. It is certainly not ugly or anything, but it’s definitely not the most beautiful or insane looking car ever.
The Bad
The only bad things about this car is that it costs $1.9 million dollars and they are only making just 80 vehicles in total.
Photo from Koenigsegg
