If a 1,180-horsepower supercar like the Koenigsegg Agera RS is lined up to take the stage at a motor show like Geneva, you would expect it to soak up the attention of all the visitors passing by, admiring the carbon fiber exterior and the massive output from the 5.0-liter V8 engine. Unfortunately for the Agera RS, it would have to share the attention with another Koenigsegg which is equally, if not more impressive than itself.
This is the new Koenigsegg Regera. They have been teasing the car a couple of weeks prior to the Geneva Motor Show and finally it is here for the world to see. Unlike the other Agera variants that Koenigsegg has been releasing these past few years, the Regera generally looks different and more unique where it is sleeker and possibly “toned down” compared to the other models. But that is only the tip of the iceberg for the Regera.
What makes this car totally distinctive is its complex drivetrain that combines the internal combustion engine with an electric drive system, which Koenigsegg calls as Direct Drive. Through this combination, Koenigsegg is able to pair the 5.0-liter V8 engine with the aforementioned electric drive system to produce a combined output of 1,500-horsepower and 1,475 lb-ft of torque!
So how does the system work? When the Regera travels at speeds less than 30mph (48km/h), it will travel on electric power alone. Once it goes on higher speeds than that, the hydraulic coupling will act as a clutch and the internal combustion engine will come into life, slipping only a little bit. As the car keeps on accelerating, the engine is locked into the geared rear-end and working alongside the electric power to the Regera’s redline of 8,250rpm, in which it should be doing 400km/h by then.
The electric motor will act as gap-fillers, where they will be providing torque fill, torque vectoring and even help provide power in the gaps where the engine might long for a gear. To put it in short, the electric motor basically replaces the gearbox. Aside from the amazing power, the Regera also comes with a foldable top mounted rear wing, active chassis with shock absorber stiffness front and back, active aero flaps and ‘soft-close’ doors.
Sounds really complicated and exclusive at the same time, which is why Koenigsegg is only making 80 of such units. Yep, this is not any concept gibberish and will actually hit the streets near you; that is if someone is willing to fork out USD 1.89 million (RM 6,902,847) to own one of these amazing creations. If you think that is crazy, keep in mind that Koenigsegg managed to sell four Regeras even before the car is unveiled!
