Koenigsegg Agera R

MEMBER’S CAR: KOENIGSEGG AGERA R

I have been watching how the Koenigsegg family have evolved over the last 10 years, and year on year, the technology and engineering have improved and improved which fascinates me. If you ever meet Christian von Koenigsegg, you can feel his passion and desire for each and every car he creates and even each piece of the puzzle that makes up the beautiful beasts that live today. Only then you will understand the true philosophy behind the brand. I have always wanted to own a Koenigsegg after meeting Tommy, Tarik and the team at SuperVettura. As soon as I made the call to the team, they organised a trip to the factory. The first time I met Christian, his family and his team, I realised then I had to be a part of their fabulous and humble family. When I was given the guided tour around the factory on how they build their cars behind the scenes, I was immediately hooked. I was then given the opportunity to drive some of their models on the road and also on their runway,

and only then did I realise how good these cars really are and acknowledge that they are a true testament to speed. I bought my car in 2015 brand new from the factory through SuperVettura based in the UK. I honestly can’t say enough about Tommy, the team and their organisation; they are always there to help whenever I need anything, and they are the definition of an honest and trustworthy team who never let you down. The support that you are given when you own a vehicle like this is second-to-none — it’s like having a road-legal F1 support team right outside your door! In terms of the specification, I’ve had the car for over six years now and, honestly, there is nothing I would change about the look of the car. I love the British Racing Green with the bare carbon all over the car and the painted red accents which really set the car off. In addition, my particular car has the new aerodynamic wing mirrors and carbon wheels with specific measurements painted in red on the rim.

The Interior has contrasting red and black leather with diamond-quilted stitching which can also be seen on the removable tinted glass roof. The centre console has a one-of-one feature in that it is the only Koenigsegg to have Christian von Koenigsegg’s signature right on the top of the carbon dashboard. The Agera R also has a beautifully-designed digital dash which tells you everything you need to know about the car. The car is crazy when it comes to stats. The engine is Koenigsegg’s own 5.0-litre twinturbocharged V8 with titanium connecting rods and negative crank pressure functionality. It has a carbon fibre intake manifold with optimised intake tracts, and a TIG-welded, ceramic-coated Inconel exhaust system. The engine weighs just 197kg in total, and the transmission only 81kg. It puts out 1,140bhp and over 1,000Nm torque from 2,700 to 7,300rpm. 0-100km/h takes 2.8 seconds, but it’s as the speed builds that the figures become even more impressive, with 0-200km/h in 7.8 seconds, and the now famous 0-300-0km/h in 21.19. In terms of the maintenance, it is hard to believe but it’s pretty reasonable for this type and value of car. It has been a very reliable car with only a few small niggles, but the factory and SuperVettura always sort everything straight away. Also, my car underwent some major upgrades that were done from the factory which have made the driving experience even more appealing, improving every aspect of the car from the handling to the responsiveness of the engine and gearbox.

The feedback you get when driving a Koenigsegg is like driving a racing car. The engine is bolted to the monocoque, hence why you feel and hear so much. That’s something I love and it’s hard to compare with other brands. The whole driving experience is very raw and is always an occasion. To give you an idea of the power, when some of the other high-performance hypercars can start to run out of steam at the top end, around 180mph and above, the Agera really comes into its own and comes alive. The acceleration is just ferocious; the power you can send to the rear wheels with your right foot is just immense and a real adrenaline rush, but at the same time the braking gives you so much confidence. I try to drive the car as much as I can. Most of the time it’s on memorable events and road trips, and I love taking it to SCD events which Adam and the team do an amazing job on, and I look forward to doing one of their road trips very soon. When I first collected my car from the factory, we timed it along with my first Koenigsegg event in Sweden. Honestly, what an experience it was to be united with my car and join the family, with Christian signing the dashboard — I will never forget it! People ask me if would I sell the car, and honestly I’m not sure if it’s replaceable. With the Regera and the upcoming Jesko, there are 80 and 125 of those being built respectively, whereas there are only 18 Agera Rs in the world, of which only three are right-hand drive, so I feel it is very desirable for the future, and if you want a raw, analogue car, it is something that would be very hard to replace. As for other cars coming to join the Agera, I’m really looking forward to receiving my Paint to Sample 992 GT3. As a young kid, I always had a massive love for Porsche and have always been a Porsche man since — my very first Porsche 911 Carrera will never be forgotten. I also can’t wait to receive my AMG GT R Black Series, and we have some more hypercars on the way which we can’t wait to show and drive at SCD events around the world.

Prior to the vehicle’s engine engaging, the SmarTrack S5+ iMOB automatically scans to verify that the supplied, innovative, Bluetooth Driver Detection cards are present within the vehicle. Without the presence of these next generation cards, the vehicle will remain immobilised, preventing the vehicle from being driven by any unauthorised personnel.

• Suitable For All Vehicle Types Including Electric/ Hybrid Via Unique CAN Technology Relay • Automatic Immobilisation Where Driver Detection Not Present • System Override Via Secure IOS/Android App - Including Valet/Service Modes • 24/7 Monitoring Service Provided By Global Telemetrics • Thatcham Approved S5+ Accredited Tracking Unit • GTE Track App For Monitoring Vehicle Location, Trip History, Geo Fences and

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