These terrible trials are endured by Koenigsegg so that you don’t have too.
Apex One shares some of that story on YouTube in the video at the top. This clip, which lasts approximately six minutes, gives a behind-the scenes look at the various tests required. It also includes commentary from Koenigsegg employees and Christian Von Koenigsegg.
Apart from the unsettling higher speed tests that involve massive speed bumps and drop-offs and head-on runs in stacked tires, we also see cars being repeatedly bashed with hammers, doors relentlessly slammed and airbag testing with dummies within the carbon fiber monocoque cockpit. It’s quite disturbing for car lovers to see.
You might think the cost of this project is not a problem considering the millions of dollars that buyers pay for new Koenigseggs. The video shows that building 16 cars for crash testing purposes can be very costly, especially when there are only 16 cars per year. Koenigsegg uses only one monocoque carbon fiber chassis. It’s strong enough to withstand all kinds of crashes and impact tests, but it doesn’t have to be destroyed.
The car’s other components, such as subframes, body panels and crumple zones, are then put to the test. The car’s core remains unaffected by the replacement parts, and it is rebuilt to allow for further testing. To keep costs low, computer simulations of complex crashes are used. The company receives crash information that other automakers may spread over multiple cars, from a single core vehicle.
Nevertheless, this doesn’t make the video any easier.