When Rob Ferretti is not showing internet surfers what it’s like to own a Ferrari 360, he’s sharing information and footage about other awesome exotics.
And cars don’t get much more awesome or exotic than the all-carbon-fiber Koenigsegg Agera R. Top speed of 273 miles per hour. One thousand, one hundred and forty horsepower from a 5.0-liter bi-turbo V8. The lateral force of 1.6 Gs. Zero to 62 mph in 2.8 seconds.
Ferretti gives us an inside-out look at a test version of the Swedish masterpiece. He points out the touchscreen controls, the aluminum switchgear and the exposed hinges for the doors’ dihedral synchro-helix actuation system.
In the rear, there’s a spring-loaded wing that tilts according to the amount of wind pushing down on it. Of course, the tail lights are back there, too.
Big deal.
On a normal car, that lack of amazement would be warranted. But the Koenigsegg Agera R jettisons the air smashing into it at inevitably breakneck speeds through the centers of those red LED rings…and everywhere else.
As Ferretti says, “Everything is designed about taking in every ounce of available air and getting it out of the car in the exact place you want it to go in and the exact place you want to go out.”
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
