Remember when the Koenigsegg Agera RS set a new record for a 0-400-0 km/h run, bettering the Bugatti Chiron barely a month after it had recorded its fastest time?
This new record was set by Koenigsegg factory driver, Niklas Lilja, who had on the same day set the record for the highest top speed achieved by a production vehicle with a two-way average of a scarcely believable 447 km/h, as well as the highest speed achieved on a public road, an eye-widening 458 km/h.
With this in mind, the records were set using a single set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, the same as Koenigsegg fit as standard on the Agera RS.
The folks over at the TheDrive.com had a chat with the owner of the Swedish brand, Christian von Koenigsegg, and Michelin product manager Eric Schmedding during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week.
Schmedding mentions, “We never intended these tyres to go 270 mph (435 km/h), somewhat higher then they are rated at.” Confidence in their ultimate ability, however, was instilled during the lead up to the record attempt when Michelin ran tests at its aircraft-base tyre torture facility in North Carolina.
Koenigsegg and Schmedding agree that the tyres could potentially handle over 300 mph (483 km/h), a figure Von Koenigsegg is hoping to one day record.
“For the car, we would need more RPM and a longer gear ratio, but we could hit 300 km/h right now. It’s scary and very dangerous to drive this fast because there are a lot of uncontrollable aspects, such as animals, tumbleweeds, bumps, wind. It’s doable, but it’s not our objective for the immediate future.”
