VIDEO: CHRISTIAN VON KOENIGSEGG IN HIS NEW KOENIGSEGG REGERA

Spotted last week in Monterey, the Regera was caught with its creator behind the wheel. For a car without a transmission, it seems to move pretty well. In a system the company refers to as “Direct Drive”, power from the engine is turned into voltage and sent to electric motors at each rear wheel. Excess power is stored in a hybrid battery pack in the car’s central tunnel, and when fully charged the system delivers 1,500 hp and 1,475 lb-ft of torque.

Regera uses smaller turbos that spool faster than its predecessors. Made possible by the electric motors providing much of the low end power, the smaller turbos offer more efficiency and better drivability. In lieu of a transmission, the engine does have a hydraulic clutch which couples the crankshaft to the rear differential (2.73 gear ratio) at highway speeds. Only 80 examples are planned for production, so stay with us for rare footage of them in action.