Mention the name Koenigsegg to most Malaysians and they will have no idea what you are talking about. Even some ‘car buffs’ have no inclination of what this name means. Well, we are here to inform you that Koenigsegg will soon to be a household name. Koenigsegg is a car manufacturer. A young car manufacturer who has been in the business for just 20 years. What started as a passion for super cars, the founder, Christian Von Koenigsegg penned his first supercar, the CC some 20 years ago and he has never looked back since. The Koenigsegg CC Concept first appeared at a BPR GT race at the Anderstorp Racetrack in mid 1996. It was driven by famous Swedish Touring car racer Rickard Rydell who showcased and drove the car in front of an audience that was impressed by its looks and performance figures. Then in 1997 the second CC prototype was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival giving Koenigsegg its first international debut. The first production car was ready in 2002. This was the dawn of the ‘hypercar’ A ‘hypercar’ is a step above a supercar and to date there are only 3 hypercar manufacturers in the world, Pagani, McLaren and of course Koenigsegg.
It was a red Koenigsegg CC8S which became Koenigsegg’s official test car. Later on this car was converted from a CC8S into a CCR and it took the top speed record away from the McLaren F1 in 2005 which raised eyebrows in the car business and gave Koenigsegg the world record for speed. This was a great achievement for this niche new car company. The Koenigsegg factory is situated in the city of Ängelholm in Sweden. Unlike the other 2 hypercar manufacturers, Koenigsegg builds its own V8 engine from scratch and nearly every part of the car is bespoke designed and built in house. Pagani gets its engine from Mercedes AMG.
Koenigsegg will be officially launched in Malaysia in the coming months by its official distributor, Naza Swedish Motor Sdn Bhd. Already the official distributor for Ferrari and Maserati in Malaysia, Naza will have no problems maintaining all Koenigsegg cars sold.
Pricing puts this car away from the average millionaires. You will have to be a multi-millionaire a few times over to own a Koenigsegg in Malaysia with the high import car tax of 198%. This puts the selling price of a Koenigsegg from RM15 Million before you start ticking the option boxes on your order form. To own a Koenigsegg you would have to be a serious car enthusiast and it would come from someone already having a Ferrari, Porsche or Lamborghini in their garage.
You can either have all 3 supercars and some change or drive a Koenigsegg. For the owner of a Bugatti Veyron that also has a personal jet and yacht, the Koenigsegg becomes an extension of their uber luxury collection. With just 105 Koenigsegg car delivered to very happy owners around the world to date, Malaysia will get the 106th Koenigsegg in a few short months. It takes 7-8 months to build and deliver a Koenigsegg from the time you place your order and pay your deposit.
Now for the part you have been waiting for. The drive and dynamics review. This test unit Koenigsegg is their latest model, the Agera. Design of this carries the cues of the 1st Koenigsegg with improvements in every single area. Christian Koenigsegg beliefs that his initial design will stay intact for years to come as it works well in aerodynamics. Tweaks to the design will come as and when needed, but the basic design will last. This gives the Koenigsegg a timeless design just like the 50 year old Porsche 911 design.
Getting into the Koenigsegg needs a little effort for the 1st timer. It has a wide door sill and a very low seating position, almost like a Lotus. Once you get inside you realise how spacious the cabin is compared with its competitors. The seats are designed by Koenigsegg and built to their specific specifications by Sparco. The seats are upholstered according to the requirements of the buyer at the Koenigsegg factory. The steering wheel is also designed by Koenigsegg. In fact almost all the components, meters, lights, reflectors, side view mirrors, wheels (made entirely from carbon fibre), brake callipers, switchgear are designed and commissioned in house by Koenigsegg. The one and only part of the car that is ‘borrowed’ from another manufacturer is the single front windscreen wiper blade.
There is ample room for a large person. The dashboard is simple with a meter cluster that has 3 LCD screens with full digital readouts. The centre console houses a full LCD screen that provides all entertainment and also drive dynamic control systems. You can adjust your drive for city, sport and winter mode. You can switch off the driver aids like traction control with just a touch of the screen icon or increase you air-conditioner fan speed. There is little use of the audio system as the engine sits right behind you and offers some of the best acoustic entertainment. It’s a cross between a muscle car V8 and a high revving Boxer engine as you build up the engine revolutions.
Hard acceleration is mind blowing and it just builds up speed like a small jet place taking off. Steering feel is tight and weighted and you feel every bit of the road surface. Use the brakes and they bite with absolute confidence like no other road car. Even with your hands off the steering wheel, the car will track straight.
Weave in and out of a tight-lined set of cones and this Koenigsegg Agera does not flinch at all. It goes exactly where you point it without missing a beat. The world’s best go-kart, is the best way to describe this cars handling. Below are the performance figures and it says it all.
Koenigsegg Agera Specifications
Engine: V8 Twin-Turbo
Power: 1140bhp @ 6900rpm
Torque: 885 lb-ft @ 7500rpm
Capacity: 5035cc
Transmission: 7-speed Dual-Clutch Auto
Top Speed: 440km/h
0-100km/h: 2.8sces
Price: From RM15,000.000.00
15million ?!! 0_0