Not too long ago, cars were entirely mechanical in nature, tuned via screwdriver and wrench, not via laptop computer. Evolution in any species is inevitable, and today’s cars are controlled by electronics as much as they’re controlled by the driver. Every system, from engine to transmission to brakes to climate control to airbags, relies on signals from sensors processed through control units.
In the case of Koenigsegg, all hardware and operational software is developed in house, which is a monumental task for a company this small. In terms of new product, up to 20-percent of a car’s development time is spent on the electronics, and all of Koenigsegg’s software engineers work on engine or chassis teams as well. Unlike larger automakers, who routinely develop components in isolation to work across an entire model range, Koenigsegg’s electronics and software are developed in cooperation with functional teams.
As Christian von Koenigsegg explains, there is no difference between the outside of the car, which everyone sees, and the smallest electronic component, hidden from view. Each carries his name and the name of his company, meaning that each much function perfectly, every time, without exception.
Is this obsessive? Perhaps, but Koenigsegg isn’t selling value-priced cars to the masses. At the Agera R’s price and performance point, there is no such thing as “good enough.”
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
