“Family-friendly” is not a term you use to describe the cars built by boutique Swedish automaker Koenigsegg. The Gemera might just change that, though. The company’s newest hypercar, which it dubbed the world’s first “Mega GT.” It offers seating for four, eight cup holders, and storage for up to four pieces of carry-on luggage. Oh, and it packs four motors — one conventional and three electric — capable of putting out a combined 1,700 horsepower and 2,581 lb-ft of torque. Just a tiny bit of power, there.
Okay, so the Gemera is not anybody’s idea of a family-friendly car. However, it’s still the closest thing Koenigsegg has ever made to a “practical” car. Only 300 will be made, and the asking price is $1.8 million according to Top Gear. That’s a lot of cash!. Then again, the Gemera is a lot of car. Let’s take a closer look.
Engine And Performance
Koenigsegg has truly created a marvel of automotive engineering. For starters, the Gemera’s sole internal combustion engine is a twin-turbo 2.0 liter three-cylinder unit that pushes out an incredible 600 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. Koenigsegg has nicknamed the engine the “tiny friendly giant.” That seems fitting. The engine is mid-mounted — which is why the exhaust sits on the back end of its roof — and sends its power to the front wheels.
Complementing the tiny friendly giant are three electric motors. There’s one on the crankshaft and two on the rear axle, one for each wheel. The motor on the crankshaft produces 400 horsepower, while the motors on the rear wheels kick in an extra 500 horsepower apiece. There’s one caveat, though. Since all four motors can’t be running at full power simultaneously, the Gemera’s max horsepower is less than the combined output of all of them.
The Gemera can reportedly do 0-to-62 mph in 1.9 seconds. It has a reported top speed of 248 mph. All that acceleration is available in an instant thanks to Koenigsegg’s unique direct drive transmission, which has only a single gear. However, the newest Koenigsegg isn’t just designed to be driven at the drag strip. The Gemera should carve up curvy roads and handle even the slickest tarmac with ease thanks to its all-wheel drive, all-wheel steering, and all-wheel torque vectoring.
Fuel Economy
Typically, there’s not much to say when it comes to hypercars and fuel economy. Anything designed to do 248 mph isn’t expected to be good on gas. However, that’s not the case here. In fact, Koenigsegg says that the massively powerful “tiny friendly giant” is actually 20% more efficient than a conventional 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Koenigsegg claims the Gemera can do 590 miles on a single tank of gas. It will run for 31 miles on electric power alone. The Gemera can run on conventional gasoline, E85, as well as methanol-based fuels and alternative ethanol blends.
Exterior Styling
Where to begin? The Gemera has a look all its own, which the automaker says is inspired by its earliest designs. Its front fascia features a massive air intake duct, pencil-thin LED headlights, and a splitter that practically scrapes the pavement. The front windshield looks as if it wraps around the entire cabin, which is made possible by the lack of B-pillars. Instead of side mirrors, the Gemera has cameras. There’s plenty to drool over around back, too. The Gemera sports a top-mounted Akrapovic exhaust and a massive carbon fiber diffuser. Then there are the doors.
The Gemera’s doors are easily its most eye-catching feature. They take up practically both sides of the car and open vertically to make it as easy as possible for passengers to enter and exit. In fact, Koenigsegg claims passengers can climb into and out of the back without having to slide the front seats forward.
Interior
Typically on cars with two doors but four seats, those in the back don’t have a ton of space to stretch their legs. That’s not the case with the Gemera, though. The Gemera can reportedly anyone standing up to 6’5” in its back seats with ease. As previously mentioned, the Gemera’s two trunks (the larger one’s in the rear) offer enough combined storage space for four carry-on-sized pieces of luggage.
For a car that costs nearly $2 million, you’d expect the Gemera to have a gaudy cabin. However, Koenigsegg has kept things quiet. There’s a healthy dose of carbon fiber throughout. The interior can be outfitted with either leather or Alcantara. The seats are made of memory foam for maximum comfort. All of them are heated. The Gemera also boasts tri-zone climate control and a whopping eight cupholders — four that are heated and four that are chilled. That ensures beverages remain at their optimal temperatures on long drives.
Technology
The Gemera is just as impressive on the tech front as it is under the hood. The Gemera features five screens. There’s two that serve as a display for the side mirror cameras and one that sits in place of the gauge cluster. Then there are two 13-inch infotainment touchscreens — one for each row of passengers. Two wireless charging pads, an 11-speaker audio system, and Apple CarPlay round out the tech.
While Koenigsegg didn’t exactly cram a ton of safety tech into the Gemera, the hypercar does offer standard automatic emergency braking. The automaker was a bit more generous when it came to driver’s assistance technology, though. A surround-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, and a proximity sensor for the doors are all included.
The Last Word
The Koenigsegg Gemera is truly something special. For perhaps the first time ever, an automaker has designed a hypercar that could also function as a daily driver. There’s really nothing you can compare it to. It’s a good 40 mph faster than any other four-seater on the market. It also offers a more comfortable cabin than any other two-door supercar. Of course, it has a price that puts it among the most expensive hypercars ever created. If you have the money, go ahead and spend it. If not, cross your fingers and just hope that you’ll be lucky enough to one day see the Gemera in the metal, whether at a car show or cruising by on the highway.
Source: Koenigsegg.com
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