During the previous decade, Koenigsegg has gone from a world-famous hypercar creator to a company whose tech expertise also allows it to grow into other areas. However, building (record-breaking) speed devils remains the core business of the Swedes. And, speaking of expansion, they have already showcased a virtual concept of an entry-level Koenigsegg two years ago. So it’s no wonder that an independent artist has recently come back to the “baby Koenigsegg” theme, rendering the splendid 3D creation on our screens.
Right now, Koenigsegg’s annual production sits in the entry three-figure zone (more on Koenigsegg’s operations below), but a more affordable machine would help the Angelholm-based automaker transition past the the 1,000 units-per-year milestones in the future.
And the latest take on the matter comes from outside the company, with digital artist Vladislav Kulikov (aka kulikovv_) having envisioned such a Koenigsegg. For one, such a machine’s pricing may sit in the six-figure range, as opposed to the seven-figure financial side of current Eggs.
The pixel master has incorporated multiple trademarks of Koenigsegg design, such as the visor-like greenhouse and the double-bubble roof. Nevertheless, with Koenigsegg always looking to innovate, this 3D work features state-of-the-art aerodynamics. The company’s traditional side intakes act like channels, running all the way to the posterior of the creation.
Oh, and as you’ll notice in the gallery below, this artist knows that one mustn’t take things seriously 100% of the time.
Former Koengisegg head of design Sasha Selipanov enjoys the independent rendering
Kulikov’s efforts have been noticed by former Koenigsegg design chief Sasha Selipanov, who dropped some encouraging emojis in the comments section of the artist’s Instagram post showcasing the work, which you’ll find below. Among others, Selipanov, who had also injected his talent into the Bugatti Chiron, penned the Gemera and worked on the recent CC850, before departing the company for a yet undetailed venture.
He also helped Koenigsegg establish the Raw Design House, an arm that has already lent its expertise to a company outside Angelholm. As such, it designed the WayRay Holograktor, a ride-hailing effort aiming to integrate the Metaverse/augmented reality into real life.
As listed on the Koenigsegg website, Raw has also signed the Gemera and Jesko, as well as supervising the Raw, the said entry-level effort mentioned in the intro. Complete in 2020, this was Finish designer Esa Mustonen’s graduation thesis (he works for Koenigsegg now). The project (here it is on Koengisegg’s website), which portrays a rather compact, angular-styled three-seater, was supervised by Selipanov and obviously got the stamp of approval from company founder Christian von Koenigsegg.
Koenigsegg’s expansion to two model lines and beyond car production
Ever since the Regera plug-in hybrid, which was first showcased back in 2015, Koenigsegg has added a second Grand Tourer line to its original hypercar offerings, which were represented by Agera-based models at that time.
In 2018 2019, the Agera passed the torch to the Jesko, whose 125-unit production run should kick off this year. We’ve seen prototypes of the Attack track version and the Absolut top speed monster, but no customer cars have been delivered yet, despite the original plan involving a spring 2022 start.
As for the Regera, this was succeeded by the Gemera, which switched to a four-seater layout and introduced a downsized 2.0L three-cylinder twin-turbo engine built by Koenigsegg sister company Freevavle.
As the name suggests, the engine replaced the traditional camshafts with electronically-controlled actuators that allow for greater efficiency. Nicknamed Tiny Friendly Giant (TFG) and powering the front wheels alone, the unit makes 590 hp, but, thanks to three electric motors (AWD), the Gemera offers no less than 1,700 hp. And the first deliveries are scheduled for 2023.
Just like in the case of the design efforts, Koenigsegg is open to sharing the freevalve hardware with other companies, especially as the engine can run on a wide range of fuels and promises CO2 neutrality when sipping second-generation renewable alcohol fuels.
And after Koenigsegg grabbed Bugatti’s production car top speed record back in 2017, how could we not get excited about a potential baby Egg that would, for instance, give Italian exotics a run for their money?
