Boutique Swedish automaker Koenigsegg is making waves in the automotive world with their range of ultra-luxe cars. The customisable vehicles have been described as hypercars, rivalling even the most prestigious supercars of established brands.
You won’t find any wallet-friendly models rolling off Koenigsegg’s production line – each car costs upwards of a million dollars. The company caters to only the most exclusive of clientele; their cars are quite literally fit for royalty, with previous customers including the Al Thani royal family of Qatar.
The coveted brand has recently made its way Down Under, selling two of their Jesko hypercars to Australian patrons for over $6 million apiece.
The seemingly exorbitant price tag is justified by Koenigsegg’s meticulous assembly process. Production is extremely limited, with only 20 vehicles manufactured per year.
Each car is handcrafted by artisans using the finest materials, with most of the components made in-house rather than outsourced. It’s a no small feat; over 300 handmade carbon fibre parts are required for each vehicle.
Customers are able to provide input, ensuring that each car is a unique work of art. The factory is headquartered in Ängelholm at the site of a former airbase; clients visiting by air can land their private jet on the runway, or use the helipad if coming by helicopter.
Koenigsegg has a reputation for speed and performance, with its cars smashing numerous Guinness world records. In 2005, the CCR unseated the iconic McLaren F1 as the holder of the World’s Fastest Car title with a top speed of 387.866 km/h. The company’s Agera RS then surpassed this in 2017 with a speed of 447.19 km/h, becoming the current title holder.
Koenigsegg has also netted records for World’s Most Powerful Production Engine and World’s Most Powerful Production Car.
The marque was established in 1994, achieving remarkable success for a relatively new player on the car scene; its first street-legal production car was launched in 2002.
Founder and CEO Christian von Koenigsegg has a rather unusual origin story. His desire to create supercars arose at the age of five, while watching a Norwegian stop-motion film featuring a bicycle repairman who built a race car.
The precocious child was raised by business-minded parents; his father was an entrepreneur who helmed engineering and finance companies, while his mother was a celebrated milliner who crafted hats for Swedish royalty.
Koenigsegg initially honed his business chops as the head of an import/export company. Eventually, the mogul grew bored and began pursuing his vision of building a sports car. He fulfilled his childhood dream at the age of 22, and is now helping customers worldwide build their own dream vehicles.
The company is constantly innovating, pioneering ground-breaking technology such as doors that swing both upwards and outwards, the rocket catalytic converter and a removable, stowable roof system.
Koenigsegg is also a leader in the green tech space, proving that sports cars can be environmentally-friendly. The automaker is developing flex-fuel cars, plug-in electric car systems and new reciprocating engines.
The CCXR Trevita is the epitome of the brand’s inventiveness; the car’s exterior is coated in diamonds. Using Koenigsegg’s patented Proprietary Diamond Weave technique, the vehicle’s carbon weave exterior is covered in a diamond solution. The black fibres then transform into a silvery-white hue that glitters in sunlight.
Only two vehicles were ever produced, costing a pretty penny at $4.8 million each and firmly positioning Koenigsegg as the ultimate luxury car marque.
By Jennifer Luu