I’ve always suspected Paul liked the GT-R more, and 71% of you do too. This week, let’s have some fun with a proposal that you probably wouldn’t think of. A $3 million dollar Koenigsegg Regera is available. But even that can’t touch the thrill of a fighter jet.
Yes, really.
The 2021 Koenigsegg Regera vs the 1964 Saab J35 Draken
Stop laughing. Well, giggling. This is what happens when you can’t sleep and search the internet at 3 AM.
Sometimes hypercars are so ridiculous. The Koenigsegg Regera gets to 60 in just 2.9 seconds, only 80 were made, the body is all carbon fiber – I could go on. But most importantly, it’s Swedish. Remember that at one time, Christian von Koenigsegg tried to buy Saab, a noble gesture to try and save a mainstream automaker.
In looking for something comparable, there…isn’t? Sure, you can find other cars that cost as much and are as fast, but the Regera is a unique thing. You cross shopping a Ferrari with it? That’s how I ended up scrolling through the internet and landed on a site called Trade-A-Plane. It’s like Bring A Trailer, but with all sorts of jets!
Lo and behold, I found a Saab (the aerospace division and automaker split decades ago). Price – $250,000. For real.
Now for the complex part.
The 2021 Koenigsegg Regera
First, the hypercar. Though I’ve featured some weird stuff on the site, like a Diablo with no odometer or Spyker, this Koenigsegg is something I’d recommenced if you’re in the market. Christian is known for being meticulous, and he’s been at it awhile now, so the experience is there.
- 699 miles
- Just 80 were made
- Available in North Carolina
- Candy Liquid Blue over blue – an $82,000 option
- Roadster, because why not
- A plug-in-hybrid powertrain has three electric motors and a twin-turbo 5.0-liter V-8 that combine for 1,500 horsepower (or 1,757 horsepower with E85 gas).
- This Regera has, ahem…“ENVIRONMENTAL POWER UPGRADE $250,000 – GHOST PACKAGE $285,000”. Doesn’t seem very ghostly to me, I can see those numbers just fine.
- The price is unlisted, but rest assured it’ll be over $3 million dollars.
Now the other part of this is maintenance. Carbon wheels with Michelin Cup 2R tires will set you back $110,000 and they have to be replaced every couple of years, and an annual service can cost you $10,000.
“Mike, I don’t care, I’m rich.” Okay, well then…
The 1964 Saab J35 Draken
Right, so we can’t just buy a jet. Well, we can, but we need a place to put it and to fix it. And to fuel it. First, let’s take a look at the Draken:
- Air frame built in 1964 (788 total flight hours, which isn’t a lot.)
- This is a “B” model, meaning it had some avionics upgrades.
- Powered by a turbojet engine with 12,500 lbs of thrust. Built by Volvo, licensed from Rolls Royce. How’s that for a car connection.
- The engine was rebuilt, and now has just 244 flight hours.
- The Draken is the first jet to be able to perform the “Cobra” maneuver. It’s like doing a burnout to impress your mates.
- Top speed – Mach 2.3. F you, Regera.
- Service ceiling: 66,000 feet.
What the hell does it cost to own a jet like this? For starters, the listing says you need to “bring it up to spec”, and that will cost $150,000. Fuel – right now, aviation fuel is about $6.49 a gallon, and the Draken can hold 1,056 gallons. That’s $7,000 each time you fly. Oh, and the Draken can drink it up at a rate of 500 gallons an hour.
Want to go supersonic? Understand that at full thrust, the Draken will be bone dry in less than five minutes.
Is it even legal to own a fighter jet?
Apparently, yes. This Draken isn’t even from the US, but if it’s too old for you, you could go nuts with a MiG-29 for just $4.65 million.
As long as it’s demilitarized, meaning no radar or weapon control systems, you’re good to go. But if you have dreams of owning an F-15 or F-22, I think it’s going to be a long time.
It’s not quite that simple, but…
Naturally you can’t work on the Draken yourself, you can’t store it at your house unless you live at Newark airport, and I have no idea how much that would even cost. Easily enough to bring the price equal to the Regera, if not beyond.
Obviously, we’re having fun. Owning a jet is more expensive than a Regera. But this is Machines With Souls, not Owners With Souls, and right now you can get a genuine jet fighter, fix it up and get it in the air for a lot less than a hypercar.
Maybe you can fly over Cars & Coffee?
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