Koenigsegg Regera Steals 0-249-0 MPH Record Back From Rimac Nevera
The 1,500-hp, hybrid V8 hypercar managed to beat the king of EVs. Though it’s only a matter of time until the tables turn.
Athletes often like to say that it's much harder to stay at the top than to get to the top, as a target is immediately put on their back the moment they reach the summit. This appears to be the case in the hypercar world, too, as the recent acceleration king of EVs, the Rimac Nevera, has been dethroned by the hybrid V8-powered Koenigsegg Regera.
The Rimac has only been at the helm for just a month now, after breaking nearly every acceleration record known to man with relative ease. With the EV in its sights, Koenigsegg set to work on its previous hypercar, giving it not more power, new aero, or even a software update, but new tires. That's right, new Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires courtesy of Michelin allowed the Regera to reclaim the zero-249-zero mph world record with a time of only 28.81 seconds. A smoother track than the one used before also played a big role in achieving the new record, with Koenigsegg using a runway at the Örebro Airport outside Stockholm in Sweden.
Further living up to its name, which means "to reign," the Regera also set the zero-250-zero mph world record, with a time of 29.60 seconds. Because why not give that a go while you've got a runway to yourself, right?
“This specific record is one that means a lot to Koenigsegg,” Christian von Koenigsegg told Top Gear. "It’s a record that covers every aspect of extreme performance. The fact that the Regera can still surprise and amaze the automotive world after all this time is a testament not only to its timeless design, but to engineering and technology that was way ahead of the curve.
“It’s something that makes me extremely proud, and as the Jesko customer cars are being delivered, we can’t wait to show you what’s next,” said von Koenigsegg.
For comparison, the EV had managed to set a time of 29.93 back in May. This means the Koenigsegg accelerated, reached 249 mph, and came back down to zero roughly 1.1 seconds faster than the Rimac. The Koenigsegg's previous time for this run was set back in 2019 when it accomplished in a then-mind-blowing 31.49 seconds. To be fair, this and all the other numbers are still mind-blowing, and it's wild to see just how much quicker these cars are constantly getting.
It's only a matter of time until Rimac, Koenigsegg, or another company breaks this new record—it's the nature of the beast. It's also worth noting that Koenigsegg's newest car, the Jesko, will soon want to steal the limelight following its production run in 2022.
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