How the Koenigsegg Regera broke the 0–250–0 mph record

Back in March at the Koenigsegg factory, I saw a whole fleet of Regeras getting ready for delivery. And as the cars got closer to hitting central London, Christian von Koenigsegg revealed that the Regera is due to stretch its legs sometime in 2019. Since the Direct Drive transmission limits the 1500-plus-horsepower hybrid’s top speed to a little over 251 mph, the Regera was bound to prove it can out-accelerate and then out-brake not only heavy Bugattis, but also the previous 0–250–0 mph record holder Agera RS.

Then came September 23, when the Regera could finally enjoy a sunny, windless Monday at the Råda airfield’s 1.24-mile runway.

While the 0–250–0 mph record now stands at 32.48 seconds, the 0–400–0 kmh happened in 31.49 seconds, which means the Regera can do its insane roller coaster run 1.8 seconds faster than the previous record holder Agera RS managed in 2017. And it’s not like the Regera could run in a controlled environment like Volkswagen’s Ehra Lessien test track. Instead, Koenigsegg test driver Sonny Persson had to make due with the Swedish Råda military airfield’s normally unused runway. They say he couldn’t even drive in a straight line due to all the bumps.

At 229 feet over sea level with an ambient temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit, a caged but otherwise completely stock Regera accelerated to 250 mph in 23.65 seconds. Think about that for 23.65 seconds. 400 kmh over 1613.2 meters in 22.87 seconds also translates to a standing mile time just under that, given that 1613.2 meters is 1.002 miles. For the record geeks out there, the figures were captured using an AiM EVO5 data logger and AiM GPS08 alongside a Racelogic VBOX 3i.

Either way, good luck doing this with a Chiron:

Of course, Christian von Koenigsegg knows the Regara can be even quicker:

“What is really impressive is how incredible the Regera brakes—8.62 seconds from 400 kmh to 0 kmh is just unheard of. It is a testament to the Regera’s balance, suspension, aerodynamics and of course its in-house design and built Koenigsegg brake calipers. The proven numbers now show the greatness of the Regera. Having said that, we know we can improve these already impressive numbers on a track with better conditions.”

To which three-time Swedish Karting Champion Sonny Persson says: hold my beer!