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Koenigsegg, Pagani, and Spano supercars in Geneva (photos)

Koenigsegg, Pagani, and Spano all brought cars to the 2011 Geneva auto show, but simply calling them sports cars doesn't do them justice. These are road-legal race cars, and as such, sport turn signals and headlights. Their cabins offer such amenities as navigation and Bluetooth phone systems. But they still find 60 mph in under 3 seconds and do things in corners other cars can only dream about.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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Koenigsegg Agera R

For a brief time, Koenigsegg held the record for the fastest production car with its CCX, until the Bugatti Veyron ripped the trophy away. Now Koenigsegg has another car, the Agera R, which brings 1,115 horsepower to the contest.

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Koenigsegg Agera R

Koenigsegg fitted the Agera R with a twin supercharged 5-liter V-8, which uses a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to rip through the gears, hitting 62 mph in 2.9 seconds. Koenigsegg did not mention a top speed at this time.

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Koenigsegg Agera R

With its carbon fiber body, the Agera R weighs 3,126 pounds. Its aerodynamic gear adds 661 pounds of downforce to the weight at 155 mph.

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Koenigsegg Agera R

Ground clearance for the car is just under 4 inches, so the body work will end up scraping a few ramps. Traction control includes five driver-selectable modes, and none are likely to be labeled Comfort.

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Koenigsegg Agera R

The cockpit looks as exotic as the exterior. The big blue-lit circle of buttons on the stack looks like something from a concept car. Shifting is, of course, accomplished with the paddles. Koenigsegg has not announced a price for the Agera R.

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Pagani Huayra

Pagani's new Huayra, with over 700 horsepower, may not be seeking a world speed record, but it still hits over 230 mph. Pagani only boasts a 0-to-62 mph time of under 3.5 seconds. And the Huayra looks almost refined compared to Pagani's previous super car, the Zonda.

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Pagani Huayra

But the Huayra shows some finesse. Its carbon fiber body keeps the weight down to 2,976 pounds, split at 44 percent front and 56 percent rear.

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Pagani Huayra

The Huarya's most interesting feature, which should contribute to incredible cornering, is an active aerodynamic system. Four flaps change air flow depending on sensor input, adding downforce individually, as needed.

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Pagani Huayra

The engine, a twin turbo 6-liter V-12, comes from Mercedes-Benz's AMG division. It is mated to a seven-speed sequential transmission. Pagani did not use a dual-clutch system to keep the weight down, instead using a single clutch with a dual plate.

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Pagani Huayra

The cabin does not lack for luxury, featuring leather and machined metal switchgear. The center LCD shows tabs for various infotainment functions, including stereo, phone, and navigation. Pagani has announced a $1.6 million price tag for the Huayra.

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Spano GTA

Spano has been developing the GTA super car for some time, showing a concept back in 2007. Sales began late last year. The GTA hits 62 mph in 2.9 seconds but tops out at only 217 mph.

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Spano GTA

The car shows some interesting design innovations that contribute more to practicality than speed. The hood of the car lifts up and back, uncovering cargo space.

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Spano GTA

Likewise, the GTA has a luggage compartment behind the engine, here shown with four custom-designed bags fitting neatly into the space. Road trip, anyone?

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Spano GTA

The engine itself boasts 8.3 liters of displacement in a V-10 configuration. It produces 780 horsepower, but Spano claims an additional 60 horsepower is gained when burning bio-ethanol. That engine is attached to a seven-speed sequential gearbox.

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Spano GTA

The GTA weighs in at only 2,976 pounds, the mass kept down by its carbon fiber body.

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Spano GTA

The cabin of the GTA does not look as opulent as that in the Huayra, or as futuristic as the Agera R's. Instead, it looks on the rough side, with plastic covers over the air vents and an aftermarket double-DIN navigation system embedded in the center stack. It hardly seems to justify the car's $832,000 price tag.

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