The 0-400-0 record is not one to be taken lightly. It illustrates a vehicle's ability to sprint from a dead stop to 400 kmh (249 mph), then brake to reach 0 mph again. Bugatti made rounds last month when the Chiron, its $3 million flagship hypercar, set a new record when it completed the task in just 41.96 seconds. Now, Koenigsegg has obliterated the Chiron's five minutes of fame.
Upon learning that Bugatti set the record with the Chiron, Koenigsegg founder Christian von Koenigsegg (the bald man in the video below, sporting the tight-fitting jacket and aviator-shades) wasn't going to be bested. The automaker borrowed the keys to a customer's ultra-rare Agera RS, one of just 25 production units, and embarked on a leisurely Sunday drive with one goal in mind: beating the Chiron at its own game. Originally, Koenigsegg planned to test the performance on the car at a test track in Germany, however due to inclement weather, the car took a 300-mile detour to beautiful southern Scandinavia.
The test track that the Agera used was dangerously sub-optimal at best, reports BBC's Top Gear. It was littered with bumps, potholes, and safety concerns, the source quoted Koenigsegg as saying: "The track had a grassed run-off zone at the end, so it was relatively safe, but it would be safer still if we never had to use it."
The Agera RS' power was relentless, proving to be too much for the marred surface and forcing the car to engage its traction control for the first three gear changes during the run.
Nevertheless, Koenigsegg carried on with the test. The Agera RS pushed its screaming 5.0-liter V-8 to its limits, letting all 1,160 horsepower loose to the pavement. Weighing in at less than 3,100 pounds, the power and weight make it the prime competitor for the Bugatti's 4,400-pound coupe, despite it having 319 less horsepower. The weight and power ratios certainly made for some interesting final numbers, which can be seen below.
0-400 kmh:
- Bugatti Chiron: 32.6 seconds, with a distance of 2.6km
- Koenigsegg Agera RS: 26.88 seconds with a distance of 1.9km
400-0 kmh:
- Bugatti Chiron: 9.3 seconds, with a distance of 491m
- Koenigsegg Agera RS: 9.56 seconds, with a distance of 483m
Total:
- Bugatti Chiron: 41.96 seconds, with a total distance of 3.1km
- Koenigsegg Agera RS: 36.44 seconds, with a total distance of 2.4km
Congratulations to Christian von Koenigsegg and his team for achieving this feat, despite not having a racing team. Regardless of which vehicle holds your heart, there's no denying that both cars are fast, but the Agera RS is properly quick. It's even more surprising to see the stopping distance of the Chiron compared to the much lighter counterpart, likely some big brakes on the Bugatti. Now we want to see the two go up against each other, head-to-head.