Supercar Folklore

It is so powerful, one wonders if this car is even legal? By Jerrica Leong

Ku-en-nik-sect, that’s how you pronounce this brand. Agera S (a-gei-ra S), that’s the latest brainchild to join the short list of cars on Christian Von Koenigsegg’s list. This awesome one-of-a-kind hypercar from Sweden finally hits Malaysian shores! And the ladies can’t stop coo-ing over the adorable headlamps.

Prepare to be impressed.

Koenigsegg takes pride in being the only limited-volume car manufacturer in the world that develops their powertrain in-house. The Agera S’ unrivalled 5.0litre bi-turbo V8 engine reflects the daring inhouse powertrain approach. It produces a colossal 1030bhp at 7100rpm and an awesome 1100Nm of torque at 4100rpm. 1000Nm is available as early as 2700rpm.

This massive pool of power is delivered to the rear wheels via a quick-reacting electronic differential and seven-speed dual-clutch paddleshift transmission. *cough* The world’s first ever dual-clutch system designed for a single input shaft gearbox – combo. *cough*

The Agera S’ weight management was given the most attention during the development period. The engine package weighs just 197kg while the transmission weighs a mere 81kg. Pair it with the lightweight pre-impregnated carbon fibre/ Kevlar body and you will get a total kerb weight of 1415kg. It looks heavier than it is!

With the inhouse powertrain and emphasis on weight saving has resulted in a hypercar that pulls from a standstill to 100kph in 2.9seconds. Unimpressed? How about 0 to 200kph in just 7.8seconds with a top-speed recorded at well over 400kph.

The Agera S also boasts that it needs just 22.7 seconds to get to 300kph from zero, leaving almost all in the dust. The short braking time is made possible by six ceramic pistons 392x40mm ventilated and drilled ceramic discs at the front and four-piston calipers with 380x34mm discs at the back operating via a performance-biased, lightweight ABS system.

Surprisingly for a hypercar of its stature, the Agera S burns 14.7 litres per 100km on a combined cycle. Translation: 500km of mileage on its 80-litre fuel tank.

Another item the Agera S can boast is the Triplex rear suspension system. It is the first system of its kind in the world, brought to the Agera S future owners by Christian Von Koenigsegg himself. It features a shock absorber and spring connecting the right and left rear wheels. This allows the spring and damping rates of the car to be lowered.

The model-specific Michelin Super Sport rubbers provides sufficient grip to allow the car to achieve lateral acceleration of up to 1.6g in dry conditions with improved handling in the wet. Because the tyres are capable of handling speeds over 420kph, it is the highest rated top-speed tyres in the world.

The engineers have paid special attention to the interior of the car as well. From the uniquely designed steering wheel and seats that exemplify comfort, to everything between the headliner and carpet adorned in carbon fibre.

There are currently only two Koenigsegg cars resting on Malaysian grounds at the time of writing. What are the odds of spotting the Agera S on the road?