When it comes to the top speed world record holder, Bugatti has reigned supreme for quite some time. Granted, Hennessey technically beat the overall top speed of the mighty Veyron Super Sport but it wasn’t “official” because it was only one run in one direction. However, that doesn’t matter anymore because a hypercar manufacturer out of Sweden has just shattered Bugatti’s record, and not that it necessarily matters but Hennessey’s record too. Of course, I’m talking about Koenigsegg, specifically the Agera RS. In case you were wondering, yes the Agera RS is the car that shattered the Chiron’s record from 0-400-0 KPH just a few weeks back. In fact, the top speed record breaker is the very same car that broke the 0-400-0 record.
When Bugatti attempts to break records, they go to the Ehra-Lessien with its silky smooth pavement and 5-mile straightaways. But other manufacturers have to get creative when finding a testing facility, especially ones big enough to handle top speeds in excess of 260mph. For example, when Koenigsegg beat the 0-400-0 record it was on an old WWII runway that was coated with years of dirt, oil, and whatever else you can think of. Definitely not ideal, but it worked nonetheless. For the top speed record attempt, Koenigsegg reached out to the State of Nevada for help and they were willing to oblige. They ended up closing down an 11 mile stretch of highway between Las Vegas and Pahrump so that the Agera could really open up. And boy did it. The average of the two runs was a staggering 277.79mph with the overall top speed of 284mph. That’s more than enough to trump both Bugatti and Hennessey, but for how long is the question. Both have updated cars with the Chiron and F5 respectively, and each is far more powerful than their predecessors that set the records in the first place. Needless to say, the top speed world record shootout is really just beginning.
