The Hennessey Venom GT just hit
270 MPH on a runway. The Koenigsegg One:1 thinks that's cute. And that's because it should be able to hit 280 MPH.
Oh, and it can go around corners like mad. Welcome to the new king. This is our
behind the scenes look at the world's new mega car.
Koenigsegg's current offerings, the Agera R and Agera S, are
not what you'd call tame, boring, cars. They make upwards of 1,000 horsepower
and are light weight. In other words, they are a handful. But a few years ago,
Christian heard rumors of what was coming from Porsche, Ferrari, and McLaren.
He wanted to be prepared with something that could take them on.
He went overboard. The One:1 is one of the most obscene and
amazing supercars that will ever exist. This is our exclusive look at
everything you need to know.
The One:1 has 1,360 horsepower at 7,500 RPM (8,250 redline)
and 1,000 NM (737 lb ft) of torque from 3,000 until 7,500 RPM from a revised
version of Koenigsegg's 5.0 liter turbocharged V8. That's nuts. Christian says
they like to call the One:1 the world's first "mega car." Not because
it doesn't fit a class, but because 1,360 horsepower equals one megawatt. It
could make more power with more boost, but they wanted to achieve a balance
that equaled more drivability and response. Christians goal was an engine that
came on full song around 2,500 RPM, a higher boost turbo would have delayed
that until 4,000 RPM. The torque curve on the One:1 is simply amazing. It isn't
totally flat, but it's as close as makes no difference.
That was unacceptable. It also uses a new variable geometry
turbocharger with something you don't hear everyday: The internals are 3D
printed. That helped them achieve the shape they wanted as well as kept the
weight down.
In addition to the internals of the turbocharger, 3D printing
is used on the exhaust tip. In fact, this exhaust tip is the largest piece of
3D printed titanium every built. And it takes three whole days to produce. That
would be amazingly inefficient for a mass produced car, but it actually works
in favor of a bespoke maker like Koenigsegg. Instead of dealing with costly
suppliers that are too complex to get just six pieces from, 3D printing lets
them control their workflow.
The Monocoque
While it looks exactly like the monocoque that
is in the Agera, the One:1 uses an entirely new weave of carbon fiber that
could be up to 40 percent lighter than the weave used in the Agera. In fact,
this new generation of carbon fiber is the same that you see on new F1 cars.
It's amazing how little everything weighs.
The Aerodynamics
Here's where Koenigsegg is entering uncharted waters. For the
first time, the small company out of Angelholm is using active aerodynamics.
And, like Koenigsegg is wont to do, it's nothing like the active aero you've
seen elsewhere.
On the underside of the front end, cut outs are added to the
carbon fiber to weaken it. Then there are hydraulic actuators which are
actually used to bend the carbon fiber and direct the air through the body and
out through the hood. It is one trick set up. When the car is in top speed
mode, the flaps are closed to reduce downforce and make it as slippery as
possible.
You might also notice the obscene front splitter and flicks
to help produce downforce. The One:1 maintains a lift system to help get over
speed bumps, and Christian is adamant that since it has such short overhangs,
the clearance isn't impacted.
Along the side, all the panels have been sculpted to help
direct airflow. In the doors, the flow to the engine has been improved 40
percent, and they were already gulping down massive doses of oxygen.
Out back is the world's first top mounted movable wing on a
road car. The inspiration is taken from Le Mans racers and the goal is to
increase the efficiency of the underside of the wing.
Under braking, instead of stalling the wing
and removing downforce, the wing folds to increase downforce to the rear which
then also increases the ability of the rear brakes. It's a win/win/win.
This is also Koenigsegg's first ever car with
a fixed roof. Well, what I mean is that it's bolted in and has a scoop over it,
but it can be removed with a little work.
The Weight Savings
Before I went to see Koenigsegg myself, I was a skeptic. I
thought of them as a kit car company that wouldn't really be able to build
something that competes with the big guys. I was more wrong than I've ever
been. This is a real automaker, and if the One:1 is as powerful and fast as
they say, then it'll also be one of the most disruptive the hyper competitive
super car market has ever seen.
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