Koenigsegg
Encyclopedia
Koenigsegg Automotive AB (ˈkøːnɪɡsɛɡ, ˈkʌnɪɡsɛɡ) is a Swedish manufacturer of high-performance sports cars based in Ängelholm
.
The company was founded in 1994 in Sweden by Christian von Koenigsegg
, with the intention of producing a world-class supercar
. Many years of development and prototyping led to the company's first street-legal production car delivery in 2002.
Koenigsegg Automotive AB is a non-listed free traded Swedish Public Company. The Company has around 90 shareholders. As the company is free trading the amount of shareholders can vary. Christian von Koenigsegg is the CEO and a major shareholder.
In 2006, Koenigsegg began production of the CCX
, which uses an engine created especially for that vehicle. The CCX is street-legal in most countries.
Apart from developing manufacturing and selling the Koenigsegg line of supercars, Koenigsegg is also involved in "green technology" development programs, including the CCXR ("Flower Power") flexfuel supercar. Koenigsegg is also active in development programs when it comes to plug-in electric cars' systems and next-generation combustion engine technologies.
In March 2009 the Koenigsegg CCXR was chosen by Forbes to be one of the ten most beautiful cars in history.
In December 2010 the Koenigsegg Agera won the prestigious BBC Top Gear Hypercar of the Year Award.
was drawn by Christian von Koenigsegg. He then took his sketches to Industrial Designer David Crafoord in order for him to realize the sketches into a 1:5 scale model. David then laid his personal touch to the design brief and finished the model. This model was later scaled up in order to create the base plug for the initial Koenigsegg prototype that was finished in 1996. During the next years the prototype went through extensive testing and several new prototypes were built.
Von Koenigsegg got the idea to build his own car after watching the Norwegian stop-motion animated movie Pinchcliffe Grand Prix in his youth. However, he took his first steps in the world of business in his early 20's running a trading company called Alpraaz in Stockholm, Sweden. Alpraaz exported food from Europe to the developing world. The success of this venture gave von Koenigsegg the necessary financial standing to launch his chosen career as a car manufacturer.
Initially, Koenigsegg Automotive was based in Olofström
. In 1997, The company needed larger facilities and moved to Margretetorp, just outside of Ängelholm. However, on February 22, 2003, one of the production facilities caught fire and was badly damaged. From 2003 and on Koenigsegg has converted two large fighter-jet hangars and an office building into a car factory. Since the factory is located on the still-active Ängelholm airport, clients can arrive by private jet right next to the factory. Furthermore, Koenigsegg controls and uses the former military runway for shakedown runs of production cars and high speed testing.
The Koenigsegg badge was designed in 1994 by Jacob Låftman, based on the shield of the Koenigsegg family. The shield has been the family's coat-of-arms
since the 12th century when a family member was knighted by the German-based Holy Roman Empire. The phantom insignia on the Koenigsegg's rear window is a tribute to a squadron from the Swedish air force wing F 10 Ängelholm
, which had the ghost as its emblem.
to take over the brand from General Motors
. General Motors confirmed on June 16 that they had chosen Koenigsegg Group as the buyer of Saab Automobile. The deal, set to close September 30, 2009, included 600 million in financing from the European Investment Bank
, guaranteed by the Swedish government. By comparison, in 2008 Koenigsegg with its staff of 45 produced 18 cars at an average price of US$1 million each; Saab employed workers and made more than cars.
General Motors announced on August 18 that the deal had been signed although certain financing details remained to be completed. On September 9, 2009, Koenigsegg announced that BAIC was going to join as a minority stakeholder in Koenigsegg.
In November 2009, Koenigsegg decided not to finalize the purchase of Saab and therefore left the negotiations. The reason for the withdrawal was that the take over was planned to have been finalized early Autumn and at the end of November it was clear that the deal still had some time left before it could be concluded. The timing uncertainty of finalization of the take over was the reason Koenigsegg stated for leaving the deal.
production prototype was finally unveiled at the 2000 Paris Motor Show. The first customer took delivery of a red CC 8S
in 2002 at the Geneva Auto Show and four more cars were built that year. Koenigsegg was established in Asia later that year with a premiere at the Seoul Auto Show. In 2004, the new CCR
was unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show; only 20 were ever made.
In 2006 Koenigsegg introduced the CCX, a new model, that was created in order to meet worldwide regulations for road use. This meant the cars had to go through extensive development in order to reach the latest and most stringent safety and emission standards that the world's authorities demanded; Koenigsegg had to, for example, develop their own engines and other related technologies. Furthermore, Koenigsegg is the only supercar and low-volume manufacturer to pass the new European pedestrian impact tests. Just after Koenigsegg passed this test, the test requirement was deemed too complicated for low-volume manufacturers to cope with. So it is now not necessary to meet these regulations if the production volume is lower than cars annually for a certain model.
In 2007 Koenigsegg premiered the CCXR, a biofuel
/flexfuel version of the CCX. The car features a modified engine, fuel system and engine management system, that enables the car to run on regular gas or ethanol, and in any mixture between these two fuels. Ethanol has a higher octane rating compared to regular gas and has an internal cooling effect on the combustion chamber.
In 2009 Koenigsegg released information about a very special edition car called the "Trevita
" of which only three will be made. The Trevita
, which translates into "three whites" in Swedish, has a body made entirely out of Koenigsegg's proprietary material consisting of diamond-coated carbon fiber. The Trevita
is based on the CCXR
, and therefore produces 1018 hp when running on biofuel.
In 2010 Koenigsegg released information at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show on a new model called the Agera. The Agera features a Koenigsegg developed 5.0-liter variable geometry twin-turbo V8 engine capable of 910 hp, coupled to a newly developed 7-speed gearbox. The Agera's design follows a clear lineage from the previous Koenigsegg supercars, but adds many special new features, such a wider front track, new styling and aero features, new interior, including a new lighting technique they call "Ghost Light," which consists of microscopic carbon nanotubes to hide the interior lighting until it's turned on, which then shines through what appeared to be solid aluminium. The Agera will go into production in late 2010.
On February 28, 2005, at 12:08 hrs local time, in Nardò
, Italy, the CCR broke the Guinness record for the fastest production car in the world, having attained 241.63 mi/h on the Nardò Ring
(a circular track of 7.8 mi (12.6 km) circumference), breaking the record previously held by the McLaren F1
. The record was held until September 2005 when the long awaited Bugatti Veyron
broke the record again at 253.81 mi/h, proven by Car and Driver
and BBC Top Gear
. Bugatti
's record was set on Volkswagen
's own test-track Ehra-Lessien
, which features a 5.6 miles (9 km) straight.
During its review of the CCX
, BBC
television program Top Gear
reported that the Koenigsegg CCR holds the fastest speeding ticket in the United States, which was supposedly for 242 mi/h in a 75 mi/h zone This allegedly occurred in May 2003 in west Texas on the San Francisco to Miami Gumball 3000
Rally.
The Koenigsegg CCXR holds the power-to-weight ratio record for production cars, with a power-to-weight ratio of 2.9 lb (1.3 kg)/hp.
In 2008, the German magazine sport auto conducted a 0 - test for production cars, with the CCX winning the event in a total time of .
Ängelholm
Ängelholm is a locality and the seat of Ängelholm Municipality in Skåne County, Sweden with 22,532 inhabitants in 2005.It is known for its clay cuckoos — a special kind of ocarina. This is however a dying tradition as there is now only one producer of clay cuckoos, Sofia Nilsson.Tourism is an...
.
Company
Christian von Koenigsegg
Christian Erland Harald von Koenigsegg is the founder of the Swedish high-performance automobile manufacturer Koenigsegg Automotive AB....
, with the intention of producing a world-class supercar
Supercar
Supercar is a term used most often to describe an expensive high end car. It has been defined specifically as "a very expensive, fast or powerful car"...
. Many years of development and prototyping led to the company's first street-legal production car delivery in 2002.
Koenigsegg Automotive AB is a non-listed free traded Swedish Public Company. The Company has around 90 shareholders. As the company is free trading the amount of shareholders can vary. Christian von Koenigsegg is the CEO and a major shareholder.
In 2006, Koenigsegg began production of the CCX
Koenigsegg CCX
The Koenigsegg CCX is a mid-engined roadster from Swedish car manufacturer Koenigsegg. The CCX has been engineered to comply with the U.S. regulation and market demands and is a newer design that replaced the Koenigsegg CCR....
, which uses an engine created especially for that vehicle. The CCX is street-legal in most countries.
Apart from developing manufacturing and selling the Koenigsegg line of supercars, Koenigsegg is also involved in "green technology" development programs, including the CCXR ("Flower Power") flexfuel supercar. Koenigsegg is also active in development programs when it comes to plug-in electric cars' systems and next-generation combustion engine technologies.
In March 2009 the Koenigsegg CCXR was chosen by Forbes to be one of the ten most beautiful cars in history.
In December 2010 the Koenigsegg Agera won the prestigious BBC Top Gear Hypercar of the Year Award.
Prototypes and production
The initial design of the Koenigsegg CCKoenigsegg CC
The Koenigsegg CC was the prototype for the CC8S made by Koenigsegg.-Overview:Issued to set work on in late 1999, Koenigsegg wanted to build a supercar that could exceed all standards set by the McLaren F1 at the time, and go over the 386 km/h set by the F1 in 1997...
was drawn by Christian von Koenigsegg. He then took his sketches to Industrial Designer David Crafoord in order for him to realize the sketches into a 1:5 scale model. David then laid his personal touch to the design brief and finished the model. This model was later scaled up in order to create the base plug for the initial Koenigsegg prototype that was finished in 1996. During the next years the prototype went through extensive testing and several new prototypes were built.
Von Koenigsegg got the idea to build his own car after watching the Norwegian stop-motion animated movie Pinchcliffe Grand Prix in his youth. However, he took his first steps in the world of business in his early 20's running a trading company called Alpraaz in Stockholm, Sweden. Alpraaz exported food from Europe to the developing world. The success of this venture gave von Koenigsegg the necessary financial standing to launch his chosen career as a car manufacturer.
Initially, Koenigsegg Automotive was based in Olofström
Olofström
Olofström is a locality and the seat of Olofström Municipality in Blekinge County, Sweden with 7,382 inhabitants in 2005.The increased use of cars in the 1950s and 60s was the great boost for the municipality...
. In 1997, The company needed larger facilities and moved to Margretetorp, just outside of Ängelholm. However, on February 22, 2003, one of the production facilities caught fire and was badly damaged. From 2003 and on Koenigsegg has converted two large fighter-jet hangars and an office building into a car factory. Since the factory is located on the still-active Ängelholm airport, clients can arrive by private jet right next to the factory. Furthermore, Koenigsegg controls and uses the former military runway for shakedown runs of production cars and high speed testing.
The Koenigsegg badge was designed in 1994 by Jacob Låftman, based on the shield of the Koenigsegg family. The shield has been the family's coat-of-arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
since the 12th century when a family member was knighted by the German-based Holy Roman Empire. The phantom insignia on the Koenigsegg's rear window is a tribute to a squadron from the Swedish air force wing F 10 Ängelholm
F 10 Ängelholm
F 10 Ängelholm, Skånska Flygflottiljen, Scania Air Force Wing, or simply "F 10", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located in southernmost Sweden.- History of the airbase :...
, which had the ghost as its emblem.
Attempted purchase of Saab
On June 11, 2009, the media reported that Koenigsegg Group, consisting of Koenigsegg Automotive AB, Christian von Koenigsegg, Bård Eker, and a group of investors had signed a letter of intent with SaabSaab Automobile
Saab Automobile AB, better known as Saab , is a Swedish car manufacturer owned by Dutch automobile manufacturer Swedish Automobile NV, formerly Spyker Cars NV. It is the exclusive automobile Royal Warrant holder as appointed by the King of Sweden...
to take over the brand from General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
. General Motors confirmed on June 16 that they had chosen Koenigsegg Group as the buyer of Saab Automobile. The deal, set to close September 30, 2009, included 600 million in financing from the European Investment Bank
European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank is the European Union's long-term lending institution established in 1958 under the Treaty of Rome. A policy-driven bank, the EIB supports the EU’s priority objectives, especially European integration and the development of economically weak regions...
, guaranteed by the Swedish government. By comparison, in 2008 Koenigsegg with its staff of 45 produced 18 cars at an average price of US$1 million each; Saab employed workers and made more than cars.
General Motors announced on August 18 that the deal had been signed although certain financing details remained to be completed. On September 9, 2009, Koenigsegg announced that BAIC was going to join as a minority stakeholder in Koenigsegg.
In November 2009, Koenigsegg decided not to finalize the purchase of Saab and therefore left the negotiations. The reason for the withdrawal was that the take over was planned to have been finalized early Autumn and at the end of November it was clear that the deal still had some time left before it could be concluded. The timing uncertainty of finalization of the take over was the reason Koenigsegg stated for leaving the deal.
Models
A Koenigsegg CC prototype was first publicized in 1996, while the full carbon fiberCarbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
production prototype was finally unveiled at the 2000 Paris Motor Show. The first customer took delivery of a red CC 8S
Koenigsegg CC8S
The Koenigsegg CC8S is a mid-engine sports car, the first produced by Swedish automaker Koenigsegg and the first production car to use dihedral actuation doors, a feature that has become a trademark of the brand...
in 2002 at the Geneva Auto Show and four more cars were built that year. Koenigsegg was established in Asia later that year with a premiere at the Seoul Auto Show. In 2004, the new CCR
Koenigsegg CCR
The Koenigsegg CCR is a mid-engined sports car manufactured by Koenigsegg. It briefly held the world speed record for a production car and is currently the fourth fastest production car in the world, behind the Bugatti Veyron, SSC Ultimate Aero and the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.-Overview:Debuting...
was unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show; only 20 were ever made.
In 2006 Koenigsegg introduced the CCX, a new model, that was created in order to meet worldwide regulations for road use. This meant the cars had to go through extensive development in order to reach the latest and most stringent safety and emission standards that the world's authorities demanded; Koenigsegg had to, for example, develop their own engines and other related technologies. Furthermore, Koenigsegg is the only supercar and low-volume manufacturer to pass the new European pedestrian impact tests. Just after Koenigsegg passed this test, the test requirement was deemed too complicated for low-volume manufacturers to cope with. So it is now not necessary to meet these regulations if the production volume is lower than cars annually for a certain model.
In 2007 Koenigsegg premiered the CCXR, a biofuel
Biofuel
Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
/flexfuel version of the CCX. The car features a modified engine, fuel system and engine management system, that enables the car to run on regular gas or ethanol, and in any mixture between these two fuels. Ethanol has a higher octane rating compared to regular gas and has an internal cooling effect on the combustion chamber.
In 2009 Koenigsegg released information about a very special edition car called the "Trevita
Koenigsegg Trevita
The Koenigsegg Trevita is a special edition car of which only three were made. The Trevita, which translates into "three whites" in Swedish, has a body made entirely out of Koenigsegg's proprietary material consisting of diamond-colored carbon fiber. The Trevita is based on the Koenigsegg CCXR, and...
" of which only three will be made. The Trevita
Koenigsegg Trevita
The Koenigsegg Trevita is a special edition car of which only three were made. The Trevita, which translates into "three whites" in Swedish, has a body made entirely out of Koenigsegg's proprietary material consisting of diamond-colored carbon fiber. The Trevita is based on the Koenigsegg CCXR, and...
, which translates into "three whites" in Swedish, has a body made entirely out of Koenigsegg's proprietary material consisting of diamond-coated carbon fiber. The Trevita
Koenigsegg Trevita
The Koenigsegg Trevita is a special edition car of which only three were made. The Trevita, which translates into "three whites" in Swedish, has a body made entirely out of Koenigsegg's proprietary material consisting of diamond-colored carbon fiber. The Trevita is based on the Koenigsegg CCXR, and...
is based on the CCXR
Koenigsegg CCXR
The Koenigsegg CCXR is a mid-engined roadster from Swedish car manufacturer Koenigsegg. The CCXR is powered by a modified twin-supercharged V8 engine from the CCX, converted to use E85 or E100 ethanol fuel as well as standard 98 octane petrol...
, and therefore produces 1018 hp when running on biofuel.
In 2010 Koenigsegg released information at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show on a new model called the Agera. The Agera features a Koenigsegg developed 5.0-liter variable geometry twin-turbo V8 engine capable of 910 hp, coupled to a newly developed 7-speed gearbox. The Agera's design follows a clear lineage from the previous Koenigsegg supercars, but adds many special new features, such a wider front track, new styling and aero features, new interior, including a new lighting technique they call "Ghost Light," which consists of microscopic carbon nanotubes to hide the interior lighting until it's turned on, which then shines through what appeared to be solid aluminium. The Agera will go into production in late 2010.
List of models
- CC8SKoenigsegg CC8SThe Koenigsegg CC8S is a mid-engine sports car, the first produced by Swedish automaker Koenigsegg and the first production car to use dihedral actuation doors, a feature that has become a trademark of the brand...
(2002–2004) - CCRKoenigsegg CCRThe Koenigsegg CCR is a mid-engined sports car manufactured by Koenigsegg. It briefly held the world speed record for a production car and is currently the fourth fastest production car in the world, behind the Bugatti Veyron, SSC Ultimate Aero and the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.-Overview:Debuting...
(2004–2006) - CCXKoenigsegg CCXThe Koenigsegg CCX is a mid-engined roadster from Swedish car manufacturer Koenigsegg. The CCX has been engineered to comply with the U.S. regulation and market demands and is a newer design that replaced the Koenigsegg CCR....
(2006-2010) - CCXRKoenigsegg CCXRThe Koenigsegg CCXR is a mid-engined roadster from Swedish car manufacturer Koenigsegg. The CCXR is powered by a modified twin-supercharged V8 engine from the CCX, converted to use E85 or E100 ethanol fuel as well as standard 98 octane petrol...
(2007-2010) - TrevitaKoenigsegg TrevitaThe Koenigsegg Trevita is a special edition car of which only three were made. The Trevita, which translates into "three whites" in Swedish, has a body made entirely out of Koenigsegg's proprietary material consisting of diamond-colored carbon fiber. The Trevita is based on the Koenigsegg CCXR, and...
(2009-2010) - AgeraKoenigsegg AgeraThe Koenigsegg Agera is a mid-engined sports car made by Swedish car manufacturer Koenigsegg as of 2011. It is a successor to the Koenigsegg CCX/CCXR...
(2010-present) - Agera RKoenigsegg Agera RThe Koenigsegg Agera R is a mid-engined supercar made by Swedish car manufacturer Koenigsegg as of 2011. The 'R' is in essence a special edition Agera, which runs on biofuel, rather than petrol....
(2011-present)
Records
Nardò
Nardò is a town and comune of 31,185 inhabitants and comune in the southern Italian region of Apulia, in the province of Lecce.-History:...
, Italy, the CCR broke the Guinness record for the fastest production car in the world, having attained 241.63 mi/h on the Nardò Ring
Nardò Ring
The Nardò Ring, is a high speed test track located near the town of Nardò, Italy, in the southern region of Apulia, in the province of Lecce....
(a circular track of 7.8 mi (12.6 km) circumference), breaking the record previously held by the McLaren F1
McLaren F1
The McLaren F1 is a supercar designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. Originally a concept conceived by Gordon Murray, he convinced Ron Dennis to back the project and engaged Peter Stevens to design the exterior of the car...
. The record was held until September 2005 when the long awaited Bugatti Veyron
Bugatti Veyron
The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engined grand touring car. The Super Sport version is the fastest road-legal production car in the world, with a top speed of . The original version has a top speed of...
broke the record again at 253.81 mi/h, proven by Car and Driver
Car and Driver
Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011...
and BBC Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
. Bugatti
Bugatti
Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti....
's record was set on Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
's own test-track Ehra-Lessien
Ehra-Lessien
Ehra-Lessien is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany.-Volkswagen Group test track:Volkswagen Group owns a test track facility in Ehra-Lessien...
, which features a 5.6 miles (9 km) straight.
During its review of the CCX
Koenigsegg CCX
The Koenigsegg CCX is a mid-engined roadster from Swedish car manufacturer Koenigsegg. The CCX has been engineered to comply with the U.S. regulation and market demands and is a newer design that replaced the Koenigsegg CCR....
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television program Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
reported that the Koenigsegg CCR holds the fastest speeding ticket in the United States, which was supposedly for 242 mi/h in a 75 mi/h zone This allegedly occurred in May 2003 in west Texas on the San Francisco to Miami Gumball 3000
Gumball 3000
The Gumball 3000 is an annual international road rally which takes place on public roads, with a different route around the world each year. Founded in 1999 by Maximillion Cooper, it sees an annual entry of 120 cars, which are mostly exotic and powerful sports cars. However, more unusual entries ...
Rally.
The Koenigsegg CCXR holds the power-to-weight ratio record for production cars, with a power-to-weight ratio of 2.9 lb (1.3 kg)/hp.
In 2008, the German magazine sport auto conducted a 0 - test for production cars, with the CCX winning the event in a total time of .
Awards
- Top Gear - Award 2010 - The Agera becomes BBCs Top Gear Hypercar of the Year, beating cars such as the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
- Red Dot - Award for excellent Design
- National Swedish Design Prize - Utmärkt Svensk Form
- Entrepreneur of the Year Nomination - Företagarna Sweden
- Powercar - Superexotic import of the year 2007 and 2008 - Germany
- NürburgringNürburgringThe Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
- speed record - Top Gear speed - record
- Nardo speed - record
- Sport Auto - slalom record
- Sport Auto - HockenheimringHockenheimringThe Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other motor racing events, it biennially hosts the Formula One German Grand Prix...
speed record - Sport Auto - 0–200 km/h record
- Sport Auto - 0–300 km/h record
- Sport Auto - 0-300-0 km/h record