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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
