On Sunday, October 1st 2017, a Koenigsegg Agera RS accelerated from 0 to 400km/h and back to 0 in 36.44 seconds.

The Agera RS was driven by Koenigsegg factory driver, Niklas Lilja, at Vandel Airfield in Denmark.

The Agera RS took 26.88 seconds to accelerate to 400 km/h over a distance of 1,958 meters. Deceleration took 9.56 seconds over 483 meters. The total distance used for 0-400-0 was 2,441 meters.

Those times are for the 0-400-0 section of the run. The entire run saw a speed of 403 km/h attained before deceleration began. The entire run from 0-403-0 km/h took 37.28 seconds over a distance of 2,535m.

Performance data for the run was captured using an AiM EVO5 data logger along with an AiM GPS08.

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The 0-400-0 run: as it happened….

The 0-400-0 run is something that we are planning for the Regera in the future, a car perfectly suited to this task. So why do it now in an Agera RS?

The owner of the Agera RS used for this 0-400-0 run is very keen for us to verify the car’s performance in comparison to other manufacturers. This run was a great opportunity to do so.

The Agera RS used for this 0-400-0 run is destined for delivery in the United States. It features our 1MW engine upgrade, providing 1,360hp and 1,371Nm of torque (1,011 ft lbs). The car is equipped with Koenigsegg’s optional and removable rollcage. The roll cage adds weight but is recommended for extreme track driving and as the cage can be removed in a few hours by a layman, it’s possible to switch between an ‘extreme’ or a more ‘elegant’ setup with ease, if so desired.

We had planned to run this test between September 30th and October 2nd at the Papenburg test facility in Germany, but a poor weather forecast forced us to set those plans aside. As there was a window of good weather in southern Scandinavia on Sunday the 1st of October, we decided to look closer to home for a track of suitable length, hence the visit to Vandel. The change of venue was arranged so quickly that confirmation of Vandel’s availability only came through just 12 hours before we left the Koenigsegg factory for the 4-hour drive to the track.

(Note: The last-minute nature of the test is also why the car still has industrial tape over various surfaces to protect them from debris. The application of tape is standard procedure during normal pre-delivery testing at Koenigsegg and we did not have time to remove it.)

The Vandel airfield was built during World War II and was used for decades thereafter as a base for the Danish Army Air Service. It was closed for military purposes in 2003 and is now the largest solar farm in Scandinavia.

The deteriorating condition of the 2800m track’s surface was evident during our tests there. The video above shows Niklas having to exert a fair amount of control over the steering as he responds to bumps and small potholes in the surface. Readers who are familiar with our 0-300-0 record in the One:1 will recall that our driver, Robert Serwanski, did that record with his hands removed from the steering wheel for most of the run, such is the extreme stability of a Koenigsegg on runs like this on a more typical test track surface.

Upon arriving, we unloaded the car and began preparations for what would be a series of runs throughout the afternoon. As the car is new from the factory – the only testing prior to this was done at speeds just above 300 on our 1400m airstrip – we had to build speed with each consecutive run to assess its performance and stability.

0-350.

0-360…

0-370…..

0-380…….

0-390………

The car performed solidly throughout, with only minor software calibrations made to the rear wing angle in order to reduce drag at high speed; a setting now standard at high speeds.

We were ready to reach for 400.

These were the last runs of the day and there was an air of calm determination at the track. Even the gentle cross-wind that had been present all day died away, leading to idyllic, still conditions. The temperature had cooled; the cooler, denser air acting as both food for our ever-ravenous turbochargers as well as a thick wall of resistance for the car to punch through.

Our driver, Niklas Lilja, had driven the car to perfection all afternoon, zeroing in on his safe braking zone as the car’s speeds increased. With this track being just 2.8 kilometers in length, we knew that we may run close to the track’s physical limitations. The track had a grassed runoff zone at the end, so it was relatively safe, but it would be safer still if we never had to use it.

While the car fought for grip on the deteriorated track surface, the acceleration was both prodigious and relentless. Due to the low grip level on the mostly concrete surface, data shows the traction control engaging on the first three gear changes to counter wheelspin, the highest-speed instance of which was logged at 183 km/h during the gear change between 3rd and 4th.

In comparison, at our test track in Ängelholm, we rarely have any need for traction control over 130 km/h or second gear, due to the phenomenal traction of the car and the decent surface. Again. this shows in our previously recorded and presented data of the One:1’s acceleration on our own test track in 2015.

The Agera RS’s search for traction receded as the car’s speed increased and the light weight of the Agera RS, combined with jaw-dropping power and torque, saw it rush to 400 km/h in 26.88 seconds over a distance of just 1,958 meters.

Covering more than 100 meters per second, the Agera RS travelled another 94 meters with speed creeping up to 403 km/h before the brakes were applied with full force.

From there, the Agera RS’s carbon ceramic discs and bespoke calipers – made by Koenigsegg in Ängelholm – brought the car to a controlled stop, the journey from 400 km/h taking just 9.56 seconds over a distance of 483 meters.

The 0-400-0 run was complete in 36.44 seconds.

The full run, including the overrun to 403 km/h, took 37.28 seconds.

Christian von Koenigsegg, Founder and CEO:

“It makes me so proud, so happy and excited to see what we have achieved as a team with the Agera RS. A result like this does not just happen. It may have only taken a few hours of driving to complete this run, but we cannot overlook all of the work that went into creating the car in the first place. Building these cars takes everything we have. We give it our all, every day of every week. Without this commitment to excellence, we would not be worthy of either the result or the reward.

Dreams CAN become reality. The story of David and Goliath continues to resonate. It is so important to visualize our efforts and results. It gives fuel to the dreamers and visionaries striving to realise their goals. YOU CAN DO IT, regardless of how impossible it seems. This is probably the most important aspect and consequence of what we do here at Koenigsegg.

I want to thank our employees, close partners, and everyone who is committed to our ongoing mission. Special thanks must go to our driver, Niklas Lilja, for the steely determination he showed at the wheel to turn something that we knew was a distinct possibility into a concrete reality.