One of the rarest, priciest cars in the world just crashed on the Nürburgring while testing in preparation for a lap record attempt. The $3.1 million, 1,341 hp, one-of-seven Koenigsegg Agera One:1 locked up its wheels and crashed into a barrier. Its skidmarks suggest a failure occurred under braking.
The One:1 sped off track and ate the wall at the Adenauer Forst section of the Nürburgring Nordschleife during an industry pool session this afternoon. MotorAuthority’s eyewitness describes the crash as thus:
According to our photographer, the driver came into the section with too much speed, slammed on the brakes and then slid off the track. The car eventually crashed through a barrier and into an embankment.
In this video of the aftermath, you can see a perfect set of straight, uninterrupted elevenses that the incident left starting at the top of the Foxhole on the track. Of course, cars that have functioning anti-lock brake systems (as the One:1 should) don’t leave long skids like that under braking.
And to frequent ring-watcher Dale Lomas at Bridge to Gantry, this suggests one of two problems:
- The driver braked hard, the ABS failed and the driver didn’t release the brake pedal in time to avoid the crash.
- A serious mechanical failure locked both wheels. On a rear wheel drive car that would most likely be something on the back axle. A front wheel failure would normally not result in two perfect skidmarks.
Koenigsegg released a statement on the crash confirming that the driver was unharmed and that they were testing for a lap record:
Koenigsegg Automotive AB can confirm reports online that a Koenigsegg One:1 was involved in a crash during testing as part of Industry Pool at the Nurburgring on Monday, 18 July. The driver was taken to hospital as per standard procedures in such situations and was released the same afternoon.
Koenigsegg has participated in Industry Pool testing for a week in each of the last two months, working primarily on vehicle setups both for ongoing vehicle development and for an attempt at a Nurburgring lap record at some time in the future.
Koenigsegg, however, made no mention of a possible cause of the crash.
Lap records were effectively banned when speed limits were instated following a tragic, deadly racing crash on the Nordscheife. But those limits have now been lifted following several safety upgrades to the track, and manufacturers are free to seek buff-book fame and glory all over again.