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With the 2011 Keonigsegg Agera R history was given a name and an engine at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show. Hailing from Swedish manufacturer Koenigsegg, the Agera R holds the conjectural claim as the world’s fastest car, capable of 273 mph. This is a car that cares not for regulations or reality, but for visions, and mirages of fast-disappearing horizons.
But Koenigsegg’s protege is more than a featureless projectile. The Agera R is beautiful in a rakish, 22nd-century sort of way. The interior, swollen with practical creature comforts, is clothed in a monocoque carbon fiber frame, a construction so rigid that the roof is removable. Air intake ducts are galore, as are other aerodynamic features.
Of course Koenigsegg was not satisfied with mere shaping, so they tacked on a dynamic rear wing capable of 600 pounds of downforce. All told, the aerodynamic body, weighing 3,120 pounds, has a respectable .37 drag coefficient when in track mode.
Track mode is where the Agera R yearns to be. It sports a gutsy 5.0-liter V8 powerplant, developed in-house, that garners incredible numbers. Although capable of using 95-octane gasoline fuel, the Agera R runs best on E85 biofuel, and cranks out 1,115 horsepower and 885 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to the engine’s twin turbochargers and dry sump lubrication, its eight cylinders compete against and even capsize larger opponents. The powerplant is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission, specially designed for eye flickering-fast gear changes. On the Agera’s 16 mpg – well, no one cares. What people do care about is the 2.9-second 0-60 sprint and a 1.6G performance on the skid pad. The people are more than satisfied.
For most cars, the engine bay holds all the secrets. For the Koenigsegg Agera R, it’s just the beginning. The lengthy double-wishbone suspension is designed for precise handling and has a unique rear Triplex construction, equipped with an extra spring and damper. One of the most advanced electronic differentials in the world sends power to all four wheels, which, incidentally, double as downforce-inducing turbines. Specially crafted by Michelin, the tires have a performance rating up to 260 mph, the highest in the world.
Alas, the first Agera R is destined for the ownership of a rich Norwegian. It seems unfair, in some way, that this rendition of beauty and adrenaline should be consigned to one man’s garage, and not displayed in a monument for all to see, and dream, and desire.