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CHASSIS
A Koenigsegg is built on the same principles as a Formula One racing car; a mid mounted engine mounted solid as a part of the carbon monocouqe, covered by a carbon fibre body. Koenigsegg’s goal has been to create the perfect machine for speed, agility and perforamance, without sacrificing a great a deal of comfort. This has meant that the engineering team has had to focus on reducing weight to a minimum. Turning to the aerospace industry for the latest materials and technologies, they have produced a monocoque unit weighing only 62 kg, while the fully equipped car is as light as 1180 kg.
Both the body and chassis are made of a laminated composite of carbonfibre and epoxy. This material is five times stronger than the same weight of steel, and it is completely resistant to corrosion. The Koenigsegg semi monocoque is a sandwich construction, built up of 21 layers of carbonfibre, including both unidirectional and woven material. The sheets of carbonfibre are pre-impregnated with epoxy and autoclaved baked, a method that provides unequalled rigidity, and also it decreases the weight of the final construction.
Moulded into the Koenigsegg monocoque is a layer of aluminium honeycomb spacing, which is the key to its unequalled strength and lightness. This technology is used in Formula One, but in no other streetcars currently in production. The aluminium honeycomb is also used for safety reasons, since it is a great material for absorbing impact force in a collision. The carbonfibre parts are cured in an autoclave, an oven for heating composite material under vacuum-pressure, which is necessary to achieve the desired strength of the chassis. The monocoque has been stiffness tested and reach a value of 65.000 Nm/degree, which is superior to that of any competitor and quite astonishing as the the car has an open top construction.
The chassis consists of three modules; in front, a lightweight steel subframe forms a compact package that contains the power steering components, the CrMo wishbones, the anti-roll bars and shocks, and also leaves room both for the stowable hardtop and an unusually large luggage compartment. The CrMo subframe is mounted onto the centre monocoque module. The rear subframe unit includes the entire drive train, which is assembled separately and then bolted to the monocoque. Its main parts are the twin milled aluminium alloy brackets that support the CrMo wishbones and the gearbox. The brackets, which are lightened using the latest computer assisted tools, are held in place by CrMo rods to ensure perfect rigidity.
In the process of developing the chassis layout much effort has been laid on perfecting its weight distribution. The final solution is in itself an engineering marvel, with a weight distribution that borders on perfection: 44/56% - f/r. All high density components are centred around the cockpit (engine, occupants, fuel tanks and batteries), giving a low polar moment of inertia and very quick reaction to directional changes.
The modular solution for joining the monocoque and rear subframe was chosen by Koenigsegg over other, simpler solutions. This type of chassis was developed for Formula One race cars, and has the advantage of both maximizing rigidity and minimizing weight. Koenigsegg's modular system also has the benefit of great accessibility, enabling quick repairs during racing and easy maintenance for everyday road use.
The engine is reasonably quite at normal driving speeds, but very lively when full RPM and power is utilized. This chararcteristics; Koenigsegg feels, goes very well with a supercar personality, that can even be used comfortably for everyday driving.
Both the body and chassis are made of a laminated composite of carbonfibre and epoxy. This material is five times stronger than the same weight of steel, and it is completely resistant to corrosion. The Koenigsegg semi monocoque is a sandwich construction, built up of 21 layers of carbonfibre, including both unidirectional and woven material. The sheets of carbonfibre are pre-impregnated with epoxy and autoclaved baked, a method that provides unequalled rigidity, and also it decreases the weight of the final construction.
Moulded into the Koenigsegg monocoque is a layer of aluminium honeycomb spacing, which is the key to its unequalled strength and lightness. This technology is used in Formula One, but in no other streetcars currently in production. The aluminium honeycomb is also used for safety reasons, since it is a great material for absorbing impact force in a collision. The carbonfibre parts are cured in an autoclave, an oven for heating composite material under vacuum-pressure, which is necessary to achieve the desired strength of the chassis. The monocoque has been stiffness tested and reach a value of 65.000 Nm/degree, which is superior to that of any competitor and quite astonishing as the the car has an open top construction.
The chassis consists of three modules; in front, a lightweight steel subframe forms a compact package that contains the power steering components, the CrMo wishbones, the anti-roll bars and shocks, and also leaves room both for the stowable hardtop and an unusually large luggage compartment. The CrMo subframe is mounted onto the centre monocoque module. The rear subframe unit includes the entire drive train, which is assembled separately and then bolted to the monocoque. Its main parts are the twin milled aluminium alloy brackets that support the CrMo wishbones and the gearbox. The brackets, which are lightened using the latest computer assisted tools, are held in place by CrMo rods to ensure perfect rigidity.
In the process of developing the chassis layout much effort has been laid on perfecting its weight distribution. The final solution is in itself an engineering marvel, with a weight distribution that borders on perfection: 44/56% - f/r. All high density components are centred around the cockpit (engine, occupants, fuel tanks and batteries), giving a low polar moment of inertia and very quick reaction to directional changes.
The modular solution for joining the monocoque and rear subframe was chosen by Koenigsegg over other, simpler solutions. This type of chassis was developed for Formula One race cars, and has the advantage of both maximizing rigidity and minimizing weight. Koenigsegg's modular system also has the benefit of great accessibility, enabling quick repairs during racing and easy maintenance for everyday road use.
The engine is reasonably quite at normal driving speeds, but very lively when full RPM and power is utilized. This chararcteristics; Koenigsegg feels, goes very well with a supercar personality, that can even be used comfortably for everyday driving.
