Posted on 11/07/2017 5:07:42 AM PST by simpson96
The world of cars has a new top trump after the Koenigsegg Agera RS smashed the record for the world's fastest production car.
The Swedish car maker snatched the crown off French powerhouse Bugatti on Saturday with two blistering speed runs down a highway in Nevada.
The Agera RS clocked an average speed of 277.9mph over the two runs, easily beating the 2010 record of 267.8mph that was set by a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
On its first run the Koenigsegg registered a top speed of 271.2mph, beating the Veyron even while battling an incline and oncoming winds.
During the second run - going slightly downhill and with a favourable tailwind - the car clocked a top speed of 284.5mph, the fastest a production car has ever gone.
The record is then an average of both speeds, to negate the effect of things like incline and wind speed.
Koenigsegg's record is particularly impressive because it was completed not only in a production car, but down a section of public highway using 'standard' tyres.
The owner of the Agera had used his connection in the film industry to convince Nevada authorities to shut down an 11-mile stretch of Highway 106, which runs between Las Vegas and the town of Pahrump, Top Gear reports.
The test was then carried out using Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres which are the tyres the Koenigsegg is sold with and are authorised for use on the road.
Worryingly, they are only guaranteed by Michelin up to 186mph, though Koenigsegg engineers were confident they would survive an extra 100mph on top of that.
Factory driver Niklas Lilja, who completed the run, said: 'I wasn't nervous. The only hesitation was over the tyres, as you always know that something could happen.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
More practical
This car is an exaggerated model of a Vette in aerodynamics
There is a 300 plus car near road test soon coming
And the Brits expect to break 1000 with a rocket needle car next few years
I don’t care what you’re driving, everybody comes to a near standstill when approaching DC along i95
Returning to Colorado from Yosemite recently in a Porsche we drove across central Nevada on Highway 50. Designated the ‘Loneliest Highway in the US’ (also the same route the Pony Express followed) there are many stretches that are a straight line extending out as far as the eye can see ... excellent road to hit 100 mph plus speeds on for some distance.
Not quite 150,000.
And, a place to change your underwear.
The Bloodhound Supersonic Car just completed its first public test, reaching 210 mph in eight seconds on a 1.7-mile airport runway in England.
Its powered by an engine usually found on combat aircraft, which gave it a 54,000-thrust horsepower.
Thats equal to the combined output of at least 360 family cars. Eventually, a rocket engine will be attached to the car, with the goal of smashing the current land speed record of 763 mph to hit the 1,000 mph milestone.
YouTube video: 1min, 17sec
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WeDy2UdiNY
Youtube video of the beast HERE
That is fast.
A lot of people are not aware that superfast cars are not just European. America has had the world’s fastest car in the past also. The Ultimate Aero was fastest from 2007 to 2010. It was made by people involved in the Shelby design company.
You’s still catch up with at every traffic light in Atlanta.
Always thought I was a speed demon. Now that fantasy is smashed.
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