Koenigsegg News

McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

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By Andrew Nabors – June 23, 2020

Koenigsegg Teases "Time To Reign" as Their Summer Blockbu...

In a world of mediocre cars, one man, one company, and one vision will take center stage (at least on YouTube). Our friend Christian von Koenigsegg builds the only production car without a transmission. Because the Regera (To Reign) offers 1,475 lb-ft of torque, it doesn't need a gearbox. Not only would it destroy any transmission on the market, it removes the most complicated and inefficient part of any car. A twin-turbo V8 is bolted to a torque converter that generates electricity. Motors on each rear axle turn the electricity into incredible acceleration until 80 mph. In-Depth Review of the Koenigsegg Regera Megacar At that point, a clutch inside the converter locks it to a 2.73:1 differential. Then you have a 5-liter Freevalve V8 running at full boost turning the wheels without any mechanical disadvantage. The Regera is so simple and so brilliant that it deserves a feature-length film. With a supporting cast of Christian and his wife Halldora, the team is packing two AR-15s along with proper ear and eye protection. Click the button below to browse Koenigsegg for sale, and stay with us for all your Regera updates. Browse Koenigsegg For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – June 22, 2020

Koenigsegg and Polestar Discuss Design and Inspiration

A press release hit our inbox just after New Year's, but it wasn't too out of the ordinary. National Electric Vehicle Sweden decided to purchase 20% of Koenigsegg for 150 million euros. Christian von Koenigsegg tried to purchase Saab from GM back in the financial collapse of 2009, but the bean counters couldn't find common ground. NEVS ended up with the rights for Saab, so this investment allows for the sharing of electric and hybrid technology between Koenigsegg and the Chinese/Japanese consortium that owns Saab. To keep Sweden's automotive industry afloat. Now it seems that Christian is forging an alliance with the other big Swedish automaker. Koenigsegg Announces Partnership With NEVS Polestar was a Volvo tuning and racing company that was eventually brought in-house. Their Precept electric car was supposed to debut at the Geneva Motor Show, but we all know how that went. Backed by Geely Automotive, Polestar is poised to be a major player in the electric car market. What we see here is how all corporate meetings should happen. It is easy to see the passion and drive behind these gentlemen, so we thing something unprecedented is coming. Tell us your favorite Swedish car story in the comments below and stay with us for all your Koenigsegg news. Browse Koenigsegg For Sale " width="680">

By Edward Jones – May 11, 2020

See What Was Koenigsegg's Brilliant Geneva 2020 Booth

When the Geneva Motor Show was canceled for 2020, it sent shock-waves through the automotive industry. We've come so accustomed to the Geneva Motor Show being the big event where the world's most exciting cars are revealed and to have that go away was distressing, to say the least. But the cancellation was even more shocking to those who had spent so much of their resources planning, designing and building their Geneva booths. You can only imagine how much effort the marketing teams of these brands put into Geneva. To get an idea of just epic these booths can get, below is a video from Koenigsegg that gives us a behind-the-scenes of what was supposed to be their Geneva booth. It's heartbreaking to see how much effort they poured into their setup knowing that they never truly got a chance to show it off to the crowds that were supposed to be there. At least we have the video below that allows us to see what could have been.You can also check out Koenigsegg's Geneva presentation down below as well. All Koenigseggs for Sale " width="680">

By Edward Jones – April 23, 2020

New Futuristic Koenigsegg Concept Revealed

Over in Europe, Koenigsegg's designers are hard at work imagining the megacar of the future. Putting in the design hours is the team at "Raw Design House," Koenigsegg's internal design team that's head up by Sasha Selipanov. Under his wing is Esa Mustonen who has just released a new Koenigsegg concept design for his graduation thesis. The result is a beautiful blend of Koenigsegg's modern design and futuristic stylings. " width="680"> Raw Design House recently uploaded a video and images of the concept to your social accounts so the world can see Mustonen's creation. A three-seat configuration is utilized inside, while the innovative three-cylinder Freevalve TFG engine rests behind the rear seat. One novel fact about this design is that Mustonen is aiming for a 1:1 ratio between weight and power. These figures are noted as 700 horsepower and 700 kg (1543 lbs). This is a truly remarkable look at what an entry-level Koenigsegg could appear as in the future. While there is clearly no word on production of this car and it remains a true concept study, it's still exciting to see Koenigsegg's design team hard at work envisioning their future. See All Koenigseggs for Sale Source: Instagram/Raw Design House

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By Andrew Nabors – March 23, 2020

Koenigsegg Gemera Prototypes Show Evolution of the Design

When your company specializes in building 2-door hypercars, the notion of adding back seats car be terrifying to a design team. That's why Christian and his team partnered with RAW Design House to sculpt their latest masterpiece. So proud of their efforts, these Koenigsegg Gemera prototypes show the evolution of the design. For a quick refresher, the Gemera was scheduled to be unveiled in Geneva alongside Jesko Absolut. A slap in the face to those who who say gas engines are dead, the "Tiny Friendly Giant is a 2.0L twin turbo without any cams. Detailed Walkaround of the Koenigsegg Gemera It uses Koenigsegg's Freevavle technology to offer 600 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque from 2-7,000 rpm. It can run on regular unleaded, E-85, E-100 (moonshine) or even methanol. Combined with the world's most advanced hybrid system, it has one motor for the front wheels and the rear wheels have their own. Total output is 1,700 horsepower and only 2,581 lb-ft of torque. It can travel 590 miles on one takn, without using the EV system, but who could resist such incredible power at your command? Click the button below to find out more and stay with us for all your Koenigsegg news. Browse All Koenigsegg for Sale https://vimeo.com/395222190

By Edward Jones – March 09, 2020

Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut Detailed Walkaround

Mr JWW is back again with another video alongside Christian von Koenigsegg. First, it was the Koenigsegg Gemera and now he's back getting a detailed walkaround of the Jesko Absolut. This new megacar is planned to be the fastest vehicle that Koenigsegg will ever make. The video was recorded on the Geneva Motor Show floor, in a corner, while the sound of booths being broken down can be heard in the background. CvK notes that he was given permission to give little reveals of the cars even though the event was canceled. The video, found below, gives a lot of insight into the car and how it achieves such a low drag coefficient. CvK shows Mr JWW how there are fewer components and the reason behind it. Check it out down below!

By Edward Jones – March 06, 2020

Detailed Walkaround of the Koenigsegg Gemera 4-Door Megacar

The Koenigsegg Gemera has everyone around the world talking about its unveiling earlier this week, as they should be. What Koenigsegg has unveiled is a groundbreaking megacar that packs four seats, an insane amount of power and it looks just stunning. YouTuber Mr JWW recently had the chance to check out the Gemera himself. What's more, he received a full walkaround from the man himself, Christian von Koenigsegg. In the video, found below, you can learn all of the details you can imagine from the man behind the Koenigsegg brand. It should also be mentioned that Mr JWW has ordered an example of the Gemera for himself. SEE ALL KOENIGSEGGS FOR SALE

By Edward Jones – March 03, 2020

Koenigsegg Gemera Revealed: Four Seater Mega-GT

Engine: Twin-Turbocharged 3-Cylinder Freevalve EngineElectric Motor: Three Electric MotorsHorsepower: 1,700 bhpTorque: 2,581 lb-ftProduction Run: 300 ExamplesCupholders: 8 Surprising everyone, the new Koenigsegg Gemera has been unveiled as one of the most stunning vehicles we've ever seen. Its appearance is downright incredible, but it's what's inside that makes this a very, very special car: four seats. Yes, the new Gemera is Koenigsegg's first four-seater and the world's first "Mega-GT." The front seats fit two adults comfortably while leaving plenty of room int he back for two adults as well. What's more, there's also space for carry-on luggage as well. But the Gemera's ability to provide comfort does not end there. See All Koenigseggs for Sale For creature comforts, there's plenty. Koenigsegg notes that there are four cold and four warm cup holders, front and rear seat central infotainment displays, wireless phone chargers in the front and back, Apple CarPlay, Wi-Fi, exterior and interior cameras, four reading lights, memory foam heated seats, electric front seats, three different climate zones and more. And guess what? The Gemera packs all of that AND a combined power output of 1,700 bhp. For this power, the Mega-GT relies on three electric motors and a 2-liter 3-cylinder dry-sumped twin-turbo Freevalve engine (nicknamed Tiny Friendly Giant or TFG). Thanks to the three electric motors, the Gemera can drive at speeds up to 186 mph completely silent and has a 31-mile pure EV range. Only 300 examples of the Koenigsegg Gemera will be created and we can't wait to see as many as possible out in the wild.

By Andrew Nabors – December 24, 2019

Koenigsegg Regera Crash Test Compilation

WARNIING: What you are about to see contains graphic violence against Swedish Supercars. Viewer discretion is advised. Now that the obligatory warning is out of the way, let's take a look at how the world's safest supercar is pushed to its limits. This Koenigsegg Regera crash test compilation shows the world how Christian's cars are made to surpass safety standards around the world. Several of these impacts can be justified if your beater leaves you stranded, but not on something as sophisticated as the Regera. Once the cars arrive in Barcelona, they are greeted by the biggest sledge hammers, hood and door slammers, and with drivers not minding their manners. But fear not, instead of testing dozens of them to destruction, the cockpit was made to survive incredible stress. 2017 Koenigsegg Regera Price, Review, Specs and Pics After each test, Koenigsegg Engineers strip the damaged body and subframes away and the cockpit is reused. That would be fine for most manufacturers, but they had to take it a step further. He purchased a supercomputer to chew away at each possible impact scenario. This is because the carbon fiber is so strong, it transmits loads directly to the subframes. The cradle that supports the suspension and the powertrain is designed to absorb the impact, destroying itself in the process. Unlike any other car in the world, this level of engineering ensures your money was well spent. Find Your Koenigsegg Here! P.S. If you plan to jump your Koenigsegg, please turn on Waylon Jennings and make sure Boss Hogg's plans are ruined. Related: How the Koenigsegg Jesko is Built

By Andrew Nabors – December 20, 2019

Koenigsegg Jesko Shakedown Runs are Astonishing

Christian von Koenigsegg demands the very best from each of his cars. Usually named after smooth Swedish verbs, their current model leaves its predecessors in the dust. Only one name was worthy, as this car pays homage to his father. That is why these Koenigsegg Jesko shakedown runs are astonishing. Jesko Koenigsegg inspired his son to follow his dreams, and it led Christian to build hypercars and solve engineering problems for the world's largest automakers. " width="680"> Related: How the Koenigsegg Jesko is Built Koenigsegg Regera Crash Test Compilation

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