Koenigsegg One:1 Will Return to Nurburgring for Record, “Eventually”
After many months, the speed limits put in place on the Nurburgring were finally lifted earlier last month, following significant safety renovations made to key areas of the track. For some, these speed limits meant nothing, as most drivers on the course lacked either the car or the skill needed to hit those speed limits. For others, including supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg, the speed limits were a massive let-down, one which led Koenigsegg to publicly speak out against the restrictions. Now, following the removal of the speed limits, Koenigsegg announced a pledge to return to the ‘Ring to attempt a world-record lap time.
There is a catch to its return to the ‘Ring, however. While the mighty Koenigsegg One:1 will can be spotted on-track this year, it might not be in the capacity ‘Ring watchers might expect. As company founder and owner Christian von Koenigsegg explains, it takes a lot more than just showing up with a car to set a world record. Not only does the team have to attempt the run on private days when the track is empty, but Koenigsegg will look for a driver who is “intimately” familiar with the track.
This means while they will be doing initial on-track testing with their extremely talented in-house test driver, the run itself will be executed by someone who knows the 150-odd corners like the lines on their hand. Not only that, but the chosen driver must familiarize themselves with the One:1 before the official run.
On that note, anyone who plans on driving Koenigsegg’s top dog needs some practice, as the One:1 is cataclysmically fast. With a 5.0-liter turbocharged V-8 engine producing a monumental 1,341 hp and a palpitations-inducing 1,011 lb-ft of torque, the One:1 practically warps reality around itself. That unhinged powerplant sits amidships in a modified Agera chassis, with the entire car weighing in at just 2,998 pounds. This absurd power-to-weight ratio meant the One: 1 was able to absolutely shred the 0-186-0 mph record last year, and easily set the production lap record at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
There is a catch to its return to the ‘Ring, however. While the mighty Koenigsegg One:1 will can be spotted on-track this year, it might not be in the capacity ‘Ring watchers might expect. As company founder and owner Christian von Koenigsegg explains, it takes a lot more than just showing up with a car to set a world record. Not only does the team have to attempt the run on private days when the track is empty, but Koenigsegg will look for a driver who is “intimately” familiar with the track.
This means while they will be doing initial on-track testing with their extremely talented in-house test driver, the run itself will be executed by someone who knows the 150-odd corners like the lines on their hand. Not only that, but the chosen driver must familiarize themselves with the One:1 before the official run.
On that note, anyone who plans on driving Koenigsegg’s top dog needs some practice, as the One:1 is cataclysmically fast. With a 5.0-liter turbocharged V-8 engine producing a monumental 1,341 hp and a palpitations-inducing 1,011 lb-ft of torque, the One:1 practically warps reality around itself. That unhinged powerplant sits amidships in a modified Agera chassis, with the entire car weighing in at just 2,998 pounds. This absurd power-to-weight ratio meant the One: 1 was able to absolutely shred the 0-186-0 mph record last year, and easily set the production lap record at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
When Koenigsegg made a plea for the elimination of speed limits on the ‘Ring last year, it said it “only needed around seven minutes of the track’s time.” Now, after the speed limits have been abolished, Koenigsegg says that they will need a little more time than that. Before, the team had already prepped the car, driver, and prepared private time on the track for a record run, as detailedin the new documentary APEX. Unfortunately, tragedy stuck when a GT3-spec Nissan GT-R became airborne and cleared a safety retaining fence, causing a raft of fatalities and injuries. The speed limits were implemented on the track until a fix could be implemented for sections of the track that were beginning to show their age.
So, for the meantime, the Koenigsegg One:1 will make appearances on the track, but not in an attempt to set a world record. That, Koenigsegg says, will come at a later date when the car, driver, weather, and track are ready.
