Watch - Koenigsegg One:1 flat out at Suzuka

Swedish manufacturer Koenigsegg has claimed its One:1 hypercar has set a new lap record for production cars at Suzuka circuit, home of the Japanese Grand Prix. The 2min 17:57sec is 0:39 seconds quicker than Nissan’s GT-R, the previous record holder.

Driven by Koenissegg’s test driver, Robert Swerwanski, the lap time was achieved at what the company calls a ‘demonstration pace’ and with the 1341bhp road car fitted with regular Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. The message coming from Sweden suggests there is more to come from the 1360kg One:1. 

Stepping out of the One:1, test driver Swerwanski said: ‘the car performed extremely well but there’s no doubt that with more time invested in getting to know the track and the optimal setup, it could go much faster.’ The time was recorded on Koenigsegg’s own timing equipment, which also showed the One:1 recording a maximum 1.72G on track.

Where does the One:1 summon its performance from? At its heart is a 5-litre, twin-turbocharged V8, which along with 1341bhp produced at 7500rpm (438bhp more than McLaren’s P1), also generates a 1011lb ft of torque at 6000rpm. It all adds up to a power-to-weight ratio of 1002bhp per ton, or if you prefer to measure your power in PS, the One:1 produces 1360PS, giving it a metric power to weight ratio of 1:1, hence the car’s name One:1.

Having experienced the One:1 first hand in evo issue 202, Contributing Editor Jethro Bovingdon knows exactly what the Koenigsegg is capable of; 'the One:1 is a car all of its own: devastating, intense, agile, and truly, heart-stoppingly exciting.’

It would be remiss of us to discus lap times without mentioning the Nürburgring. How would the Koenigsegg fair on Germany’s most gruelling circuit? Would its four-figure power output be enough to beat Porsche’s mighty 918 Spyder lap of 6min 57sec?