By Viknesh Vijayenthiran

1 432 views Jun 8, 2015

When it comes to exclusivity in the auto world, it’s hard to match Swedish supercar marque Koenigsegg. The company builds just a couple of dozen cars per year and that means there’s likely to be only a handful of cars in any given market. But Koenigsegg is starting to expand its business. At the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, Koenigsegg showed off two distinct models for the first time, the Agera RS track-focused model and Regera hybrid, and unlike previous cars from the brand both of these beauties are being made available in the U.S.

Koenigsegg has also expanded its dealer base here, although that only means growing from two dealerships to three. The latest is Lake Forrest Sports Cars in the greater Chicago area, which will serve as the factory authorized Koenigsegg dealer for the Midwest. It joins previous stores Momentum Auto Collection in the San Francisco area and Manhattan Motorcars in New York City.

“We are delighted to work together with such a passionate and well-respected dealer such as Lake Forest Sports Cars,” Koenigsegg CEO and founder Christian von Koenigsegg said in a statement. “Lake Forest Sports Cars’ passion, skill and local footprint will lay the foundation for a successful collaboration, going forward getting our exciting cars in to the hands of Midwestern sports car connoisseurs.”

Other marques the dealership handles include Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lotus and Maserati.

As mentioned above, Koenigsegg’s current lineup consists of the Agera RS and Regera, although the Regera isn’t in production just yet. Both cars produce well over 1,000 horsepower and both have price tags that exceed $2 million. A dealership in the U.K. recently listed a Regera at $2.36 million. Sadly for the multimillionaires out there, the One:1, potentially the world’s fastest production car, is sold out. Just six of them were built, one of which was snapped up by an American buyer.

While there are a handful of Koenigseggs already in the United States, including an uber-rare One:1, none of the cars are in full compliance with local regulations which mean they are likely here under special rules such as the infamous ‘Show or Display’ clause.

That’s all set to change, however, so get ready, because the Koenigseggs are coming.

The Swedish supercar marque recently started signing up dealerships here—they include Lake Forest Sportscars of Chicago, Manhattan Motorcars in New York City and Momentum Auto Collection in San Francisco—and now the company is about to start the build of its first car fully federalized and street-legal in these parts: an Agera RS.

For a small company like Koenigsegg, which in two decades has built just over a 100 cars, meeting the complex and expensive challenge of legally selling cars in the U.S. is reason to celebrate. That’s why Koenigsegg will be fully documenting the build of this particular Agera RS, which is expected to take around six months to complete.

It bears chassis number 128, and it’s just one of 25 Agera RS supercars destined to be built for worldwide consumption. After that Koenigsegg will start production of the Regera, which will be built in an 80-car run and presumably also be street-legal in the U.S.

In case you’ve forgotten, the Agera RS builds on the already extreme Agera R by adopting elements from the insane One:1. Its twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter V-8 engine delivers 1,160 horsepower on pump gas and the curb weight is just 3,075 pounds.

The acceleration, as you may have guessed, will be staggering, but as with any Koenigsegg it’s not just about straight-line performance. The Agera RS will pull up to 1.75 g in the corners thanks to its Triplex suspension, Michelin tires and aerodynamic upgrades, including a new rear deck spoiler that provides almost 1,000 lb of downforce at 155 mph.

We’re thrilled that Koenigseggs are finally being federalized and will be watching the build of this first one closely, so stay tuned.

Owning a Koenigsegg isn’t just a matter of signing a check; it’s a long-term commitment that involves millions of dollars and years of waiting. Yet there’s a hint that the Swedish marque could one day explore the idea of building more accessible sports cars, potentially bringing its badge within reach of a wider audience.

Christian von Koenigsegg may be used to driving two-seat hypercars with over 1,500 hp, but he also understands the appeal of cheap, lightweight sports cars. He’s the proud owner of an NA Mazda MX-5, driving it every week to the company’s Angelholm factory, and while recently speaking with the media, said he’s been thinking about making more affordable sports cars in the future.

Thinking Beyond Hypercars

“We’ve been dabbling with the idea of maybe going up in volume, making simpler, more obtainable sports cars,” he told CarBuzz. However, he acknowledged that “it’s just that’s such a big jump from where we are,” noting that “high volume [manufacturing] is a different animal than hand-built low volume. We’ll see. Maybe one day.”

If Koenigsegg decided to launch a more affordable model, it would likely need to secure some serious investors to help fund a significant expansion. While its production complex in Sweden is quite large for a small automaker building less than 100 vehicles a year, it would not be suitable for volume production.

The Swedish brand also prefers to engineer and produce as many parts in-house as possible. If it were to manufacture vehicles in higher numbers, it would likely need to start relying on external suppliers. Either that or its research and development facilities, as well as its parts business, would also need to swell considerably.

What Would It Cost?

The company’s founder did not indicate how obtainable any future products could be, but it’s highly unlikely they’d be rivals to cars like the Toyota GR 86 or even the Porsche 911. It would seem more likely that they would still be supercars, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars rather than millions. After all, “affordable” in Koenigsegg-speak probably just means you might only have to sell one kidney instead of both.