But when Christian wanted to tune the engines from 335 to over 600 horsepower, Audi backed out. The result? Koenigsegg chose American Ford V8 engines instead.
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Crash on Top Gear’s test track
During a recording of Top Gear in 2007, Ben Collins, then “The Stig”, had an accident in a CCX with over 800 horsepower.
At the Follow Through corner, the rear tires lost grip, and despite attempts to gain control, the car understeered and crashed into a tire wall. The accident became a memorable event and can still be seen online.
Recently, a Koenigsegg Jesko broke the track record at the famous track, this time without crashing the car.
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First with the term “megacar”
Koenigsegg introduced the term “megacar” to describe a car with at least one megawatt of power – the equivalent of 1,360 horsepower.
This milestone was reached in 2014 with the One:1 model, which also achieved a groundbreaking 1:1 weight-to-power ratio.
The car weighs 1,360 kg, exactly the same as its horsepower output. Since then, models such as Regera, Gemera and Jesko Absolut have continued this tradition of megacars.
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Regera’s name is a subtle challenge
The Regera, a plug-in hybrid with three electric motors and a twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8, was unveiled in 2015 at the Geneva Motor Show.
With 1,781 horsepower, it set new standards for performance. The name ‘Regera’, meaning ‘to rule’, can only be seen as a clear jab at the competition – and the car lived up to its name by setting a world record for 0-400-0 km/h in 28.81 seconds .
Ordinary doors are not for Koenigsegg
Koenigsegg has never settled for traditional gullwing or scissor doors. Instead, they use the innovative dihedral synchro-helix system, where the doors first swing outwards before lifting vertically.
This solution, known as Koenigsegg Automated Twisted Synchrohelix Actuation Doors (KATSAD), is standard on all models and gives the cars a distinctive character.
Koenigsegg is a brand that continues to fascinate car enthusiasts the world over and also gets some attention from its competitors.