Did you know that Koenigsegg is Swedish for "not resting on laurels"? On a more serious note, while many of us still haven't completely wrapped our minds around the 1,700 horsepower family car that is the Gemera and the fastest-Egg-ever represented by the 300+ mph Jesko Absolut (both landed last month), Angelholm is here with fresh material. This time around we're looking at a virtual proposal revolving around an entry-level hypercar, as described by the carmaker.
Frankly, we should've seen this one coming. First of all, because the automaker has been slowly, but steadily, expanding its reach.
For instance, when the Regera hybrid arrived back in 2017, it not only marked the first time when the company offered a two-vehicle lineup, but its 80-unit production run was also a record. The Jesko, with its two iterations, pushed that number to 125, while the Gemera raised the bar to 300 units. Still, with the hypercar costing around $3 million and the four-seater's price sitting at about $1.9 million, the world still needs an Egg with a broader appeal.
Secondly, this is a development by the recently established Raw Design House. Part of the said March 2020 launch marathon, this new arm is led by company founder Christian von Koenigsegg and head designer Sasha Selipanov. And while its core business is listed as "offering design services to select clients", did you really expect it to not offer a home-brewed product?
Speaking of Selipanov, the penning master knows a thing or two about the rendering revolution that has taken over the Internet, as his stellar 2019 social media Koenigsegg Sketch Challenge shows. So it shouldn't surprise you that, for this entry-level hypercar, he turned to one of the digital artists that sit in the first lines of the said revolution: Esa Mustonsen.
A native of Finland, the 23-year old pixel master has "always been interested in cars" and graduated from the Lahti Institute of Design. Some of you are already familiar with his work, not just because, as an intern at Koenigsegg, he handled certain small details of the Gemera, but also thanks to spare-time projects like this next-generation GT-R rendering.
Photo: Esa Mustonen via Raw Design House
So you are now looking at Mustonse's graduation thesis, with this having been completed "under supervision and support of Christian von Koenigsegg and Sasha Selipanov,"
In fact, you'll be able to enjoy the Baby One:1 (more on this below) in the extensive image gallery above, which also takes one through the ideation process that led to the stunning design - there's also a short clip in the Instagram post at the bottom of the page.
This is the kind of styling that makes a statement. Wrapped in what appears to be a rather compact package (read: extra agility), we find a memorable mix. This brings together traditional Koenigsegg design features, such as the prototype racer-like greenhouse/roof, with a bold, angular front end that plays the minimalism card, as well as a jet fighter-inspired posterior featuring an afterburner-like articulated rear diffuser (Remember the story about the company's factory being established in a former military base?).
Oh, and let's not overlook the "flow-through" aero profile of the machine, which packs airflow manipulation hardware that's well hidden behind the simple design that meets the eye.
Photo: Esa Mustonen via Raw Design House
And we haven't even gotten to the amazing tech side of this vehicle, which, like the Gemera, also makes for a green proposal.
No, this is not a hybrid, but it tackles the eco aspect in a manner that will definitely please enthusiasts. You see, Koenigsegg has set itself an extreme aim for this machine, envisioning a composite structure that tips the scales at just 700 kilos (1,550 lbs) - the reduced weight doesn't just bring dynamic assets, but also means a dramatic emission cut.
And since we have way too many fingers on one hand for counting the three-seater velocity monsters out there, this carbon fiber structure offers just such a seating layout.
Now, to explain the "Baby One:1" part, the Egg people plan to offer no less than 700 horsepower, mentioning the revolutionary, uber-efficient twin-turbo 3-cylinder Freevalve engine that's entering production on the Gemera - there's no talk of electric assistance, nor would the drastic weight limit allow for this, at least as far as the current battery tech allows. So we can only assume that the two-liter mill will be pushed an extra 100 hp further compared to its Gemera iteration. After all, the benefits of the cutting edge synthetic fuels this motor can sip aren't limited to reducing emissions.
You can sit in a board room all day and discuss the integration of the virtual and the real car world, which is a must these days, or you can just nail it. Well, it seems Koenigsegg has gone for the latter.
"RAW by Koenigsegg offers a new type of user experience as it can be used in both the real and the virtual world. The car allows its user an opportunity to experience its performance and influence its setup in either real life or digital states using already existing highly correlative racing simulators," we are being told, albeit without further details on that sim racing bit.
Besides, the cabin of the proposal, with its unusual-shaped steering wheel and its "floating" displays, might just be enough to make one feel immersed in a video game.
What's Raw by Koenigsegg, you ask? An "imagined" sub-brand that would allow the company to offer such an entry-level hypercar. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how Koenigsegg avoids building a mere supercar.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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