Koenigsegg Builds a Fully Carbon-Fiber Hypercar

Leave it to supercar maker Koenigsegg to come up with something innovative. Not satisfied with having the world's fastest production car, the Swedish manufacturer has now released the first-ever car--a Koenigsegg Regera--finished completely with bare carbon fiber panels.

While most carbon fibers are coated with clear epoxy to achieve a glossy finish, Koenigsegg's panels--which it calls Koenigsegg Naked Carbon (KNC)--do not contain any lacquer, varnish or alternative coating on the surface. Each panel was painstakingly polished by hand. A laborious process, as one can imagine, because one wrong stroke can ruin the fiber's weave structure.

The Koenigsegg website describes the end result as "a striking new look for carbon fiber. The body of the car becomes cold to the touch as the material is pure carbon, instead of an insulating epoxy or lacquer layer with carbon underneath. The sheen takes on a more metallic graphite appearance as each graphite strand is now fully exposed."

For years, Koenigsegg has been developing its carbon fiber technology, perfecting it with every steering wheel, wing, and splitter installed in its cars before working on the completely carbon-fiber Regera. The material comes with the added benefit of low thermal conductivity, and so the material is cold to the touch. According to Koenigsegg, it is also less likely to scratch and chip, and temperature and weather won't deal it the usual wear and tear.

"It's not unusual for a customer to specify their car with visible carbon fiber," said CEO Christian von Koenigsegg. "It's a beautiful material from a visual perspective and our customers love to show what the car is made from. KNC takes the idea of visible carbon fiber to a whole new level, revealing a beautiful luster and a very silky finish."

The KNC-equipped Regera was recently delivered to its owner in Switzerland.