History of Koenigsegg - UPDATED

1994-2018 this is the story of Koenigsegg

3y ago
118.6K

August 12 1994

22-year-old Christian von Koenigsegg decided to follow his dream and build the world’s greatest super-sports car. Koenigsegg Automotive is born.

1996

The Koenigsegg concept vehicle, known as the CC, was driven in public for the first time by Rickard Rydell at an event at Anderstorp race track.

1997

The Koenigsegg CC prototype was shown at the Cannes Film Festival

1998 - NEW WORKSHOP

Koenigsegg moved from their original workshop on the south-east coast town of Olofstrom, to a new workshop in the south-west, in a town called Margretetorp.

2000

The first Koenigsegg production prototype made its public debut at the Paris Motor Show in September, 2000. The car on show was the first ever Koenigsegg CC8S production prototype, which later became the test car and crash-test car that enabled Koenigsegg to homologate vehicles for sale. It featured an early version of the 655hp Koenigsegg engine that would later feature in customer cars.

2002

The first CC8S, which means CC V8 Supercharged, was built in 2002 and delivered at the Geneva Motor Show in March, 2003. Six examples of the CC8S were produced in total, two of those six cars were right-hand drive.

The engine in the Koenigsegg CC8S was certified by Guinness World Records as being the most powerful engine in a series produced car. The engine produced 488kW (655hp).

2003 - THE FIRE

The Koenigsegg factory at Margretetorp was a historic building with a thatched roof. it was very susceptible to fire. That fire happened in February 2003. The company was only two weeks away from showing the CC8S at the Geneva Motor Show. Thankfully, even though it was a Saturday, there were members of staff on site who managed to save vehicles and tooling from the flames. Many company records were lost, however.

2004 - CCR

The Koenigsegg CCR was an evolution of the CC8S, produced between 2004 and 2006. 14 examples were built. The CCR featured an upgraded body design with a larger front splitter, a rear wing, larger brakes, plus an upgraded chassis and suspension setup. The CCR also had a more powerful, twin-supercharged engine, producing an astonishing 806 hp.

The Koenigsegg CCR outdid the record set by the Koenigsegg CC8S in 2002. The CCR was equipped with an uprated engine, which added more than 150hp for a total output of 806hp. Guinness World Records verified this output and this record in 2004.

2005 - WORLD RECORD

The world’s fastest car at the beginning of 2005 was the legendary McLaren F1, with a speed of 386.4 km/h set in 1998.

Koenigsegg took the new CCR to Nardo, Italy, in February 2005 to attempt a new record. The car had been at Nardo for a week without breaking the record but the new mark was finally set on the last day, with a new top speed of 387.86 km/h recorded. The car was packed up and shipped directly from Nardo to Geneva for the 2005 Geneva Motor Show that afternoon.

2006 - CCX

The Koenigsegg CCX looks like its predecessor, the CCR, but it was no mere evolution. While it retained the traditional Koenigsegg layout – mid-engined V8, carbonfibre tub with a removable and stowable roof – the CCX was a completely new car. It was slightly larger, designed from the ground up with worldwide homologation in mind and meeting all world standards for safety and emissions. The CCX was the first Koenigsegg to be sold in the United States.

The CCX took the record at Top Gear’s test track in 2006

2007

Koenigsegg CCXR

Koenigsegg CCXR

The CCXR took Koenigsegg’s potent twin-supercharged V8 to a whole new level thanks to a flex-fuel sensor and hardware allowing the car to run on either regular gasoline, E85 (85% ethanol) or any mix in between. The higher octane rating of E85 fuel lifted the total output of the CCXR to 1,018hp, a record at the time. The CCXR also debuted Koenigsegg’s new Chrono instrument cluster, providing advanced safety and aesthetics.

One CCXR model was specially built to allow it to run on E100 fuel. It features a blue ‘R’ badge on the side flank instead of the traditional green.

Koenigsegg CCGT

Koenigsegg CCGT

The 2007 Geneva Motor Show also saw the public debut of the Koenigsegg CCGT race car. The CCGT was developed as a side project with the ambition of racing in the GT1 class at Le Mans. Weighing just under 1,000kg and with a naturally aspirated V8 engine making 600hp, the CCGT was very impressive in testing and looked to be very competitive.

Sadly, Koenigsegg’s racing ambitions were quashed when the FIA changed the regulations for the GT1 class, imposing bigger minimum build numbers that Koenigsegg was unable to meet.

2008

Koenigsegg launched the CCX ‘Edition’ and CCXR ‘Edition’ models at the Geneva Motor Show in March, 2008. The Edition models had a beautiful carbon body, bespoke aerodynamics and specially tuned suspension to further improve the handling. The CCX Edition received a slight horsepower bump up to 888hp, whereas the CCXR Edition’s output remained at 1,018hp. There were 4 CCXR Editions made, and just 2 CCX Editions.

Koenigsegg CCX

Koenigsegg CCX

The Koenigsegg CCX set several new speed records in 2008 with Horst von Saurma, editor of Sport Auto magazine behind the wheel.

The Koenigsegg CCX set a new performance benchmark for 0-300-0 km/h, completing the run in just 29.2 seconds. Even today, many high performance cars only reach the 300 mark in such a time, let alone stop again.

The CCX also accelerated from 0-200 kmh in 9.3 seconds.

2009

Koenigsegg announced a limited edition in September 2009 – the CCXR ‘Trevita’. The Trevita featured a special proprietary white carbonfibre weave, developed by Koenigsegg especially for this model. Trevita means ‘three whites’ in Swedish and the original intention was to build an edition of three cars. Only two were built, however, tying the Trevita with the CCX Edition as the most exclusive limited run in Koenigsegg’s history.

Koenigsegg CCXR Special Edition

Koenigsegg CCXR Special Edition

The CCXR Special Edition was specifically commissioned to see off the CCX-range in style before the arrival of the Agera. The Special Edition featured a special double F1 wing, all carbon body work, revised aerodynamics, Koenigsegg’s first ever paddle-shift transmission and a new touchscreen infotainment system for the interior. It was a true bridge between the CCX and Agera models and with just two examples made, it remains one of the rarest Koenigsegg models ever.

2010 - AGERA

Agera means “to take action” and there has never been a more appropriate name for a car. The Koenigsegg Agera, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010, was Koenigsegg taking action – moving the brand forward into bold, new territory.

The Agera featured a new interior highlighted by Koenigsegg’s new ‘ghost’ lighting system. It had Koenigsegg’s new VGR wheels, designed like turbines to extract heat from the car’s brakes. It also marked the change from twin-supercharging to twin-turbocharging. Koenigsegg completely redesigned its exhaust system to virtually eliminate turbo-lag, opening up a world of power-potential while still retaining a light, compact engine package. This allowed the first Ageras to complete with a full 960hp and over 1,100Nm of torque – more than enough to ‘take action’ whenever you need.

The Agera won the Top Gear Hypercar of the Year award in 2010.

2011 - AGERA R

Koenigsegg Agera R

Koenigsegg Agera R

By 2011, Koenigsegg had already been working with ethanol fuels for four years and it was only natural that the Agera would receive an engine capable using this power-boosting fuel, Thus the Agera R was born.

The Agera R could run on any fuel from 95 octane pump gas to E100 biofuel. It produced 960hp on regular 95 octane but this output jumped to a massive 1,140hp on either E85 or E100, with 1,200Nm of torque.

In 2008, the Koenigsegg CCX set a time of 29.2 seconds for the 0-300-0 km/h run. That’s amazingly fast, even by today’s standards.

The Koenigsegg Agera R showed just how far the company had progressed in three short years, with a 0-300-0 time of just 21.19 seconds. Margins should be small at the sharp end of the performance segment, but this was a massive 8 second improvement and far ahead of any competitor times.

2012 - AGERA S

Koenigsegg Agera S

Koenigsegg Agera S

The Koenigsegg Agera S was configured in 2012 for markets where the biofuels needed for maximising output in the Agera R were not available. Thanks to new engine mapping and hardware, the Agera S was the first Koenigsegg to make over 1,000hp on regular, 95 octane pump gasoline, with maximum output of 1,040hp.

The Agera S also saw the debut of Koenigsegg’s AirCore hollow carbonfibre wheels. These revolutionary news wheels weighed 40% less than regular alloy wheels – a massive saving in un-sprung weight that provides both acceleration and handling benefits. Koenigsegg was the first manufacturer to offer carbonfibre wheels on factory built cars.

2014 - ONE:1

The Koenigsegg One:1 was the first production car in history to feature a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio. Truly revolutionary.

Around 100kg was shaved from the already-light Agera R to bring it down to 1,360kg. Koenigsegg matched this with a 1,360hp twin-turbo V8 engine when run on E85 biofuel. The One:1 was the most extreme Koenigsegg ever made, offering blistering acceleration along with an amazing 2g of lateral grip.

Examples of features that were especially developed for the One:1: unique track-optimized aero, Le-Mans inspired top-mounted active wing and optimized active under floor air management. Large air vents and roof scoop were needed for improved cooling to support the 1 Megawatt of power.

The One:1 claimed lap records at Spa-Francorchamps and Suzuka Circuit in 2015. Six customer cars were built, along with one factory development car.

2015 - REGERA

Koenigsegg announced a new revolution at Geneva 2015, with the launch of the all-new Koenigsegg Regera. The Regera features three electric motors combined with a powerful twin-turbo V8 and a high-performance, ultra-light battery pack to produce over 1,500hp. Even more amazing is that all of this power is sent directly to the rear wheels as the Regera has no gearbox.

The Regera uses a system called Koenigsegg Direct Drive, which uses the electric motors to propel the car at takeoff with the combustion engine contributing drive from around 30kmh and beyond. The transition from electric to combustion drive is progressive and seamless, providing both blistering performance and the ultimate in comfort.

Koenigsegg will build 80 Regeras in total over a period of five years.

Koenigsegg Agera RS

Koenigsegg Agera RS

Koenigsegg used the Geneva Motor Show in March 2015 to show the new Koenigsegg Agera RS. The Agera RS took everything that Koenigsegg learned in the development of the extreme One:1 and dialled it back – just a notch – to make a more comfortable version of Koenigsegg’s extreme road and track monster.

The Agera RS features Koenigsegg’s highest ever output running only on regular 95-octane gasoline – 1160hp. It is also a technology powerhouse with advanced aerodynamics, stability management, software updates and active suspension settings stored in the Koenigsegg cloud. All of this is developed and managed in-house at Koenigsegg.

The Koenigsegg RS is fully homologated for sale in all countries and 25 units will be produced.

In 2008, the Koenigsegg CCX did the 0-300-0 km/h run in 29.2 seconds. In 2011, the Koenigsegg Agera R did the same run in 21.19 seconds.

In July 2015, the Koenigsegg One:1 shaved more than three seconds from the Agera R’s time, recording an amazing 17.95 seconds. That’s from zero to 300 kmh and then back to zero – a pure test of both acceleration and braking.

2016

Koenigsegg announced a grand finale for the Agera model line with a limited edition of three Agera Final models .

The Agera Final edition is based on the Koenigsegg Agera RS but offers unparalleled levels of customisation. Owners will be able to specify any equipment from the Koenigsegg options list – free of charge – and Koenigsegg will also work with owners to develop bespoke aerodynamics that will only ever be used on their car. It is the ultimate expression of the Agera philosophy.

The first Agera Final edition was built in time for the 2016 Geneva Motor Show and is called the One of One. The two remaining Agera Final editions will be built at the end of the Agera RS production run.

2017 - WORLD SPEED RECORDS

On November 4th 2017 the Koenigsegg Agera RS achieved five new world records for a production vehicle. Driven by factory driver Niklas Lilja, on a closed road in Nevada.

HIGHEST TOP SPEED FOR A PRODUCTION VEHICLE

The average of one run in either direction was 447.19 kmh / 277.87 mph

0-400-0 kmh (248mph)

33.29 seconds, 3 seconds quicker than the previous record.

HIGHEST SPEED ACHIEVED ON A PUBLIC ROAD

In one direction the Agera RS reached 457.94 kmh / 284.55 mph

HIGHEST AVERAGE SPEED FOR A FLYING KILOMETER ON A PUBLIC ROAD

445.63 kmh / 276.9 mph

HIGHEST AVERAGE SPEED FOR A FLYING MILE ON A PUBLIC ROAD

444.76 kmh / 276.36 mph

-

MORE HISTORY OF:

#Koenigsegg #Supercar #Supercars #Hypercar #Hypercars #History

Join In

Comments (19)

  • This is so cool Marcus! I never knew a lot of this before reading and I love how you’ve made a timeline of it all. What an impressive car and history!

      3 years ago
  • As close as I got to the factory in Ängelholm, Sweden 🇸🇪

      3 years ago
  • thank you Marcus for the article.

      3 years ago
  • This guy is my hero! Great article and really nice pics. Well done!

      3 years ago
  • Hi congratulations - your post has been selected by DriveTribe engineering Ambassador for promotion on the DriveTribe homepage.

      3 years ago
19