The Koenigsegg Regera wins the horsepower wars
The mega hyper hybrid Regera is the most insane thing at the 2016 International Motor Show in Geneva.
At the Geneva auto show in 2015, Koenigsegg trotted out its prototype Regera. It is now a full-fledged production vehicle and of course, it's bonkers.
This mega-hybrid puts out a total power somewhere north of 1,500 with torque coming in at over 1,475 pound-feet. Koenigsegg doesn't seem to care much to supply exact numbers, and why should it? The Regera is essentially twice as powerful as the La Ferrari and Porsche 918. Why quibble with specifics when you're that far ahead of the game?
The Regera gets to these numbers with a twin-turbo 5.0-liter V-8 engine working in conjunction with three electric motors. One is mounted on each rear wheel and one is mounted on the crank.
The Regera is ready to eat the Porsche 918 alive.
Streamlined fairings help the Koenigsegg Regera cut through the air.
Unlike the Ferrari and the Porsche, which both get the power to the rear wheels with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the Regera uses the patent-pending Koenigsegg Direct Drive to harness the power. The Regera is powered by the rear-wheel electric motors upon initial acceleration. As speed increases, the electric motor on the crank and the internal combustion engine are phased in, adding their output to the rear wheel motors. Essentially this results in one, very tall, gear that redlines at 8,250 rpm.
The Regera has a few other nifty tech tricks up its proverbial sleeve. A Battery Drain Mode will kick in when there is 30 miles of range left and will ensure that the battery is fully drained upon arrival at a charging station. You can also open and close all the doors, front and rear wings and other body flaps remotely via your smartphone, which could be an excellent way to scare away anyone who gets close enough to touch your crazy mega car.
The interior gets a 9-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity. There are also front and rear cameras with recording capability.
There are three drive modes are available to play with, so you can maintain grip (hopefully) in wet, normal and track conditions. Expect to pay more money than you can dream of for one of 80 planned production models. There are dealerships in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
