Forget Game of Thrones and forget the series finale of Breaking Bad; the must-see video of this year is a bald middle-aged Swede talking about a car he is building in his garage.
OK … so maybe I didn’t do the best job of explaining that. What I am talking about is Christian Von Koenigsegg giving cameras a behindthe scenes look his mad hypercar company’s latest creation the One:1.
For those of you who don’t know, the One:1, which was just unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, is a true first in the automotive industry.
The name stands for the power to weight ratio: one horsepower for every one of its 1,340 kilos of weight – and that’s with fluids and a full tank of gas. No other car has ever come close to this achievement. That 1,340 hp adds up to nearly a full megawatt of power, another first in the car industry.
The video series takes a step past the mind-boggling numbers to explain how a tiny company like Koenigsegg could build a car like the One:1. In the first video founder – and probable super villain – Christian Von Koenigsegg explains what makes the car tick, from the radical active aerodynamic body kit, to the extensive use of 3D printed titanium parts.
Though perhaps one of the most interesting innovations is the cloud connected suspension. If you take your One:1 on the track, it will contact the Koenigsegg cloud and download the suspension settings that the manufacturer recommends for the track. And these aren’t just static either, the suspension will react dynamically to each corner on the track.
In the second video, the engine is put on display. While hearing about the remarkable engineering that made this turbocharged V8 capable of putting down 1,340 horsepower is fascinating, the most compelling part of this video is hearing Koenigsegg discuss his hybrid competitors.
Koenigsegg’s stance is, that while fully electric supercars may soon make sense, there is no point in adding the weight of a hybrid drivetrain. It is hard to argue with the results that McLaren, Porsche, and Ferrari have achieved, but – looking at the One:1 – Koenigsegg might have a point.
The last video covers the active rear wing. And – surprise – there are more firsts! Koenigsegg created a two-stage wing that is capable of providing downforce and braking simultaneously, not to mention high speed stability without producing drag … Oh, and this system weighs about a third of what competitors do. And remember, unlike Porsche or Ferrari, Koenigsegg has a total staff of just 50 to design and produce these technical wonders.
These videos may take a few minutes to watch. If you love cars, heck if you don’t hate fun then they will be worth your time.
