Preview: Koenigsegg One:1

When Koenigsegg announced their intention to build the One:1, many scoffed at the idea. One horsepower per kilogram. At 1341kg, that equates to 1341 metric horsepower, or one megawatt of thrust, prompting Koenigsegg to dub it "the world’s first megacar."

 

That’s more power than the new McLaren P1, the Porsche 918, the Ferrari LaFerrari and Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. To put it in perspective, the One:1 weights 400 pounds less than a C7 Corvette, but generates nearly three times as much horsepower. It’s a difficult metric to comprehend, even for us fortunate enough to drive high performance vehicles on a regular basis.

 

 

That power is bestowed upon the One:1 by a biturbocharged 5.0-liter V8 derived from the Koenigsegg’s Agera R, here making over 200 horsepower more than the version in the Agera. Did we mention the One:1 also makes 1011 lb-ft of torque? With the kind of power you can literally destroy pavement.

 

The performance numbers read like a supercar wish list: a theoretical top speed of 273 miles per hour (a production car world record if it holds true), 2G of cornering force on road-legal cup tires and 1345 pounds of downforce at 160 mph due to the One:1’s advanced active aerodynamics. We’ve yet to hear what 0-60 time looks like, but rest assured, it’s probably pretty brief.

 

Of course, this kind of performance doesn’t come easy, so Koenigsegg enlisted the help of various cutting-edge technologies to get there, including the use of 3D printing to design and create both the titanium exhaust system and the variable turbo housing.

 

To help keep tabs on their progress of mastering the One:1 on the track, owners will also get real-time telemetry data provided via 3G and GPS, which can be accessed via a bespoke iPhone application. 

 

For those wanting a One:1 of their very own, we have some bad news: all of the six Koenigsegg One:1 examples set for production have already been spoken for. But what’s that old saying? "Everything has a price." For this one though, you’re probably going to have dig pretty deep – the MSRP for those six lucky buyers was $2.8 million.