Record per la massima velocità raggiunta dalla Agera RS

The fastest production car in the world reached 446.97 km/h

Designing and building a car that exceeds homologation requirements is no small feat, but imagine the difficulty of obtaining the fastest car capable of traveling on the road. There are few companies that continue in the attempt to obtain the top speed record, one of them is Koenigsegga Swedish company based in Ängelholm.

In this sense the Koenigsegg Agera RS (which has held the record for over 7 years) is one of the most impressive supercars ever created, but more importantly approved for road use. It is equipped with an engine Twin-turbo V8 from 5.0 litresand in the version MW upgrade it is capable of delivering a maximum power of 1360 horsepower (approximately 1014 kW, compared to 857.5 kW of the standard version). The dynamic wing system and the active rear wing, once a speed of around 250 km/h is reached, help to generate a downforce equivalent to 450 kgallowing the supercar to tackle high-speed corners with greater stability and control, and to maintain alignment on straights.

The bodywork is made of carbon fiber and Kevlar, making the car extremely light and resistant, with a total weight of approx 1305kg, and a consequent weight to power ratio good 0.77 kW/kg, fundamental in achieving speed records. The Agera RS can pass by 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.8 secondsthanks to its power and lightness. The car is equipped with electronically adjustable suspension, ceramic disc brakes, and offers an electronic stability control system to ensure safe and precise driving.

Another particular feature of this car lies in the dry sump lubricationwhich allows lubrication to be maintained constant even in the case of sudden accelerations. A car with a traditional (wet) sump may find itself in a condition in which oil suction is not possible, impacting the health of the components and acceleration performance.

How is the record set?

While there is no universally recognized method to determine itit is possible to rely on experimental verifications conducted independently, in the case of this record the verification was carried out by the company Racelogicwhich provides electronic measurement and data acquisition instruments. The record was set on November 4, 2017 during an official event, on Nevada Route 160 (a straight and flat road, approximately long 25.6km). The same straight was tackled in both directions, respectively reaching the speed of 457.49 km/h during the first run, and 436.44 km/h during the second, with an average of well 446.97 km/h.

But because to break the record it is necessary to travel the same stretch of road in the opposite direction? The idea behind repeating the same stretch of road in two different directions allows you to reduce the effects of wind and unevenness of the asphaltwhich could influence both in favor and against the record, highlighting very marked differences between the two results (in this case a difference of 21 km/h was recorded between the two races).

To make a brief comparison, the speed record in formula one is of 378 km/hobtained at the Baku circuit in 2016 by Valtteri Bottas aboard a Williams FW38.

Controversies in setting the record

Although the record was set by the Agera RS, for the Guinness World Record since 2010 the fastest production car remains the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sportand that’s because Koenigsegg didn’t invite the association during the event to verify the record (in fact, the record was independently verified by Racelogic). Not everyone knows, however, that the Bugatti in question was even disqualified for a short period by the Guinness World Record itself for having introduced a electronic limiter on cars intended for sale, thus undergoing a review process (which however saw the confirmation of the record).

The controversies in this sense concern two aspects: the verification of the top speed in both directions and the set-up. The first problem is that there have been car manufacturers that have falsified speed data to make them higher, or have undertaken the route in only one direction. The second problem, however, is broader, and arises when the modifications are not part of the standard equipment: whether they are roll cages, lightening or modifications to the engine, they should not be taken into consideration, as the vehicle would lose its original setup with which it is sold to the customer (with consequent loss of approval).

The Koenigsegg Agera RS marked an extraordinary chapter in the history of supercars, but the future always holds new challenges and technological innovations, and in the coming months we will surely see new attempts to break this superlative record.