Koenigsegg Regera
The Koenigsegg Regera is a limited production, plug-in hybrid grand touring sports car manufactured by Swedish automotive manufacturer Koenigsegg. It was unveiled at the March 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The name Regera is a Swedish verb, meaning "to reign" or "to rule". Koenigsegg produced 85 Regeras, most of which were sold upon unveiling.
The Regera was developed and designed to be a more practical, luxurious, grand touring alternative to the rest of Koenigsegg's lightweight sports car lineup: initially the Agera and later the Jesko. Consequently it is focused on the smooth and instant delivery of power provided by its overhauled powertrain, rather than on-track performance.
The introduction of the Regera alongside the Agera RS in 2015 resulted in Koenigsegg for the first time simultaneously having two models in production. This role was passed from the Agera to the Jesko in 2019, which briefly shared the production line with the Regera when Jesko production began in late 2021.
Conception
Koenigsegg founder Christian von Koenigsegg purchased a Tesla Model S P85+ in 2013 and was impressed by the car's ability to instantly deliver power without the need for a downshift or to wait out turbo lag. He was especially impressed with the direct and intuitive experience provided by an electric car like the Tesla, remarking that the instantaneous response of the motors was something even a Formula One car could not attain with a traditional internal combustion engine. Von Koenigsegg sought to combine this desirable aspect of electric powertrains with the traditional Koenigsegg experience of a lightweight, powerful sports car.Realizing some form of compromise was necessary, von Koenigsegg decided to look to a hybrid solution. By removing the traditional 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and switching to a single-gear direct-drive system, Koenigsegg mitigated the added weight of the three electric motors and a 4.5 kW·h battery pack installed in the Regera as compared to the previous Agera models.
Development
The Regera was designed with a combination of the CATIA software suite and Autodesk Inventor, with AutoCAD Electrical being primarily used to redesign the vehicle's electrical systems from past Koenigsegg models. According to Koenigsegg Technical Director Jon Gunner, the Regera makes use of several power nodes to connect wiring throughout the car compared to the single power node of previous models, which saves weight.Koenigsegg uses 3D printing technologies to manufacture many parts of the Regera. This includes static components like details in the interior of the car under the upholstery and the large electrical exhaust port at the rear of the car, as well as dynamic components like the variable-geometry turbocharger in the engine. This manufacturing technique allowed Koenigsegg to better tune airflow through the turbochargers and achieve a more complex inner housing shape which was impossible with conventional methods.
The Regera was used by NVIDIA to introduce Project Holodeck, a virtual reality environment capable of importing and manipulating high-detail 3D models. This technology was used by Koenigsegg engineers to collaborate on design ideas in real-time and could allow customers to experience their custom made vehicle in VR before it is purchased or built.
Specifications
The Regera is a two-door targa top with a detachable roof that can be stowed in the boot. It is the first hybrid car to be produced by Koenigsegg, as well as the first vehicle to use their Direct-Drive System for power delivery. As the company's 'grand touring' oriented offer in their two-car lineup, the Regera focuses more on interior luxury and daily usability instead of hardcore track performance like the Jesko.Powertrain
The Regera has a reported total power output of through a hybrid powertrain. As in general, the Regera's internal combustion engine generates its greatest power only at high rpm; however, due to the fixed gear, this corresponds to very high speeds. Power at low speeds is filled in by the electric motors, giving a maximum combined mechanical power output of and of torque.Internal combustion engine
The Internal Combustion Engine is a mid-rear mounted, in-house developed, twin-turbocharged V8 engine with a 5.0-litre displacement. It has four valves per cylinder, each with a bore and stroke of and a compression ratio of 9.3:1. The engine utilizes dry sump lubrication and dual overhead camshafts, and has a cylinder bank angle of 90º. It is rated at at 7,800 rpm and of torque at 4,100 rpm on 95 octane RON gasoline. A flex fuel sensor is installed in the fuel tank to detect E85 biofuel, which increases the power output to. The ICE is rev-limited at 8,250 rpm.Electric motors
The ICE works in conjunction with three YASA electric motors with a total capacity of and of torque. One YASA 400 Motor Generator Unit mounted on the crankshaft acts as starter and generator and supplies torque fill; and two YASA 750 wheel-shaft mounted electric motors drive each rear wheel and provide torque vectoring and manages traction. The electric motors are powered by a 4.5kWh, 800 volt, liquid cooled battery pack developed by Rimac Automobili, making it the first 800-volt production car. Koenigsegg claims that the battery pack is the most power-dense battery pack ever created for a production car.Under braking, the kinetic energy recovery system in the Regera can regenerate up to 150kW of power to recharge the battery during operation.
Transmission
Christian von Koenigsegg invented the Koenigsegg Direct-Drive System, and it was developed for the Regera by the Koenigsegg Advanced Engineering Team. The KDD system effectively eliminates the need for a transmission and allows for pure EV mode. The Regera does not have a traditional multi-gear transmission but instead features a single-speed fixed-gear transmission, often called a direct-drive, with a 2.73:1 reduction ratio, meaning the crankshaft mounted on the ICE will rotate 2.73 times for every 1 time that the output shaft of the direct-drive mechanism will rotate.At speeds below, the wheel shaft electric motors mostly propel the car through the use of a hydraulic coupling that lets the ICE and the crankshaft mounted electric motor slip. In reverse, only the wheel shaft electric motors propel the car. Above 30mph, the RPM of the crankshaft mounted electric motor and internal combustion engine are proportional to wheel speed through locking of the hydraulic coupling. However, Christian von Koenigsegg described and demonstrated how the Regera features a steering-wheel-mounted paddle that simulates a traditional downshift by initiating slip of the hydraulic coupling connecting the crankshaft to the output shaft. This results in higher RPM of the ICE and the crankshaft mounted electric motor and therefore higher power at lower speeds than what would have been possible if the coupling would have been locked at all times. Koenigsegg reported that the omission of a gearbox and addition of electric motors and battery only added compared to what the Regera would have weighed with the same combustion engine but a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and no electric motors or batteries.
Suspension
The Regera features a similar suspension layout to the preceding Agera models, with double wishbone suspension at the front and rear axles. The wishbones are manufactured from chrome-molybdenum steel tubes, which was chosen over carbon-fibre due to the significant cost and complexity of the latter option. The suspension incorporates special Z-shaped anti-roll bars that connect to the body at only one point. Also returning from the Agera models is Koenigsegg's 'Triplex' damper system, which consists of three custom Öhlins shock absorbers on the rear suspension subsystem. While anti-dive forces under heavy braking are achieved by obliquely mounting the top wishbones in the front of the car, this mounting position could not be achieved in the rear. Therefore, the purpose of the third 'Triplex' rear damper is to provide anti-squat forces under hard acceleration.Wheels
The Regera has aluminium wheels or carbon fibre wheels with diameters of at the front and at the rear with center-lock wheel nuts. The tyres are Michelin Pilot Sport 4S' with codes of 275/35 ZR 19 for the front and 345/30 ZR 20 for the rear. The car comes with track focused Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres when equipped with the Ghost package. The brakes are ventilated carbon-ceramic discs, with a diameter of and six-piston calipers at the front along with a diameter of and four-piston calipers at the rear.Aerodynamics
Like its other production counterparts, the Regera is equipped with active aerodynamics for optimized downforce. At the rear is a foldable hydraulic wing, and at the front are active flaps that can modify the flow of air under the car. The manufacturer claims that the stock aerodynamic system is capable of generating of downforce at.Before the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, Koenigsegg revealed the optional 'Ghost' package for the Regera. This package extends the front splitter and the side sills, adds canards to the front fenders, and adds fixed winglets to the rear quarter panels. Koenigsegg claims that, with the Ghost package installed, the downforce of the Regera is "increased by more than 20 percent".
Interior features
The Regera includes added insulation to help add to the luxury by reducing cabin noise caused by the wind and powertrain along with 8-way electrically adjustable memory foam seats included as an added luxury item over previous models. The Regera also includes many new technical features such as a Neonode 9-inch infrared infotainment system, a complete camera system with recording capabilities, Apple CarPlay, a new sound system, ambient lighting, and 4G and Wi-Fi connectivity. It also features front and rear parking sensors.The wireless connectivity capabilities of the Regera allow for Koenigsegg to send over-the-air firmware and software updates to each car as necessary. This allows for the remote modification of parameters such as the power band of the electric motors or throttle response without the need for physical work on the car.
The Regera has active engine mounts for the ICE and transmission to rest on. The engine mounts are designed to stay soft at lower speeds, significantly reducing vibrations and engine noise, adding to the luxury effect of the vehicle. While driving more aggressively or at higher speeds, the engine mounts will firm up, giving greater lateral response to the driver.