Original subtitles

Narrator: TODAY ON "HOW IT'S MADE: DREAM CARS,"

THE KOENIGSEGG ONE:1.

THERE ARE SUPERCARS, AND NOW THERE'S A MEGACAR.

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

THE KOENIGSEGG ONE:1 IS CALLED A MEGACAR

BECAUSE IT HAS A POWER OUTPUT OF ONE MEGAWATT.

ALL THAT POWER IS CREATED HERE

AT THE KOENIGSEGG HEADQUARTERS IN ANGELHOLM, SWEDEN.

CHRISTIAN VON KOENIGSEGG WAS JUST 22

WHEN HE STARTED THE BUSINESS IN THE EARLY 1990s.

YEAR AFTER YEAR, KOENIGSEGG'S BRAND INNOVATES,

BREAKING WORLD RECORDS IN THE PROCESS.

IN 2003, GUINNESS DECLARED THE KOENIGSEGG CC8S

TO BE THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL PRODUCTION CAR.

AND IN 2005, THE KOENIGSEGG CCR

BROKE THE PRODUCTION ROAD CAR SPEED RECORD.

THE KOENIGSEGG ONE:1 IS NAMED FOR ITS INCREDIBLE

ONE MEGAWATT OF POWER,

BUT IT ALSO GETS ITS NAME FROM ANOTHER ASTONISHING FEATURE.

IT HAS A POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO OF 1:1.

THIS RATIO IS OFTEN CALLED

THE HOLY GRAIL OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.

IT EXPLAINS WHY THE CAR CAN ACCELERATE FROM 0 TO 250

IN JUST 20 SECONDS.

IT TAKES SOPHISTICATED ENGINEERING

TO CREATE A CAR LIKE THE KOENIGSEGG ONE:1.

TO ACHIEVE THAT REMARKABLE 1:1 POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO,

THE MANUFACTURERS HAD TO COME UP WITH UNUSUAL WAYS

TO MAKE THE CAR LIGHTER.

TECHNICIANS BUILD THE CAR'S HUBS USING CARBON FIBER.

THE HAND LAYS SEVERAL DIFFERENT KINDS OF CARBON FIBER

ONTO A MOLD.

WHILE DEVELOPING THE ONE:1, KOENIGSEGG WORKED CLOSELY

WITH THEIR SUPPLIERS TO ENSURE THE CARBON

COULD WITHSTAND THE INTENSE HEAT

THE HUBS MUST ENDURE AT HIGH SPEEDS.

ONCE ALL OF THE CARBON FIBER IS IN PLACE,

TECHNICIANS ENCLOSE THE MOLD IN A VACUUM BAG

AND REMOVE ALL THE AIR.

THE HUB IS NOW READY FOR CURING IN AN AUTOCLAVE.

THE AUTOCLAVE PROCESS IS A PROPRIETARY,

MULTISTAGE, HIGH-TEMPERATURE CURING PHASE.

ONCE THE CURING PROCESS IS COMPLETE,

WORKERS REMOVE THE VACUUM BAG AND REVEAL THE FINISHED PRODUCT.

KOENIGSEGG HAS TRADEMARKED

THE TECHNOLOGY FOR MAKING THESE HUBS.

IT'S CALLED AIRCORE BECAUSE THE COMPONENTS ARE HOLLOW.

THE ENTIRE RIM WEIGHS BETWEEN 13 AND 16 POUNDS.

THAT MAKES IT 40% LIGHTER THAN THE LIGHTEST ALUMINUM RIM.

BUILDING THE WHEEL SUPER-LIGHT HELPS TO REDUCE

THE OVERALL WEIGHT OF THE CAR

AND THE UNSPRUNG WEIGHT OF THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY.

THE CAR'S CHASSIS IS ALSO BUILT OF CARBON FIBER.

AN ENGINEER USES SPECIALIZED SOFTWARE

TO RUN OPTIMIZATION TESTS.

NOW A TECHNICIAN ASSEMBLES THE CHASSIS UNIT.

HE USES A STRUCTURAL ADHESIVE

TO INSTALL A COMPONENT CALLED THE CENTER TUNNEL.

THE KOENIGSEGG ONE:1 IS A PERFECTLY SYMMETRICAL CAR.

THIS ALLOWS THE MANUFACTURER TO EASILY CONVERT IT

FROM A LEFT-HAND TO RIGHT-HAND DRIVE

AT VIRTUALLY ANY POINT IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS.

AFTER ALL THE ADHESIVE HAS BEEN APPLIED,

THE WORKER FLIPS THE PART OVER AND LOWERS IT INTO PLACE.

HE VERIFIES THAT THE PART IS PERFECTLY CENTERED.

EVEN THE FUEL TANK IS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR.

THE TECHNICIAN CAREFULLY SCRAPES OFF ANY EXCESS ADHESIVE.

THE MANUFACTURER WORKS HARD TO MAKE SURE

THAT EVERY CORNER OF THE CAR IS BOTH STRUCTURALLY

AND AESTHETICALLY PERFECT.

THE TECHNICIAN RUNS HIS FINGER ALONG THE JOINT

BEFORE REMOVING THE MASKING TAPE TO REVEAL A SMOOTH, CLEAN SEAM.

THERE IS NO NEED TO COVER THE JOINT

UNLESS A CUSTOMER CHOOSES TO.

NEXT, THE WORKER BRINGS THE NOSE-CONE COVER TO THE CHASSIS

AND GLUES IT INTO PLACE.

THE NOSE CONE WILL COVER THE PASSENGER

AND DRIVER'S LEGROOM AREA.

IT WILL ALSO PROVIDE THE STRUCTURAL BASIS

FOR THE DASHBOARD AND A MOUNTING PLATFORM

FOR THE WINDSHIELD ASSEMBLY.

HE USES QUICK-RELEASE CLAMPS

TO HOLD THE NOSE CONE IN PLACE AS IT CURES.

THE WINDSHIELD FRAME IS DESIGNED

TO PROVIDE THE MOUNTING POINTS FOR THE HOOD AND WIPER.

IT ALSO HAS INTERFACES FOR THE DASH COMPONENTS

AND PROVIDES ROLLOVER CRASH PROTECTION.

THE WINDSHIELD FRAME HAS AN A-CLASS SURFACE --

THE HIGHEST-QUALITY FINISH A CAR CAN HAVE.

MOST A-CLASS SURFACES ARE PANELS

DESIGNED TO COVER THE STRUCTURE OF THE CAR.

BUT THESE PANELS ADD WEIGHT TO A VEHICLE,

SO KOENIGSEGG DECIDED TO MAKE

THE SURFACES OF THE STRUCTURE A-CLASS,

REMOVING THE NEED FOR ANY EXTRA PANELING.

Narrator: KOENIGSEGG BUILDS ITS CAR SEATS BY HAND.

YOU CAN ASK THEM TO MAKE THE SEATS

OUT OF ANYTHING FROM OSTRICH TO KANGAROO LEATHER.

THEY CAN EVEN MATCH THE LOOK OF YOUR FAVORITE WALLET OR HANDBAG.

A CRAFTSMAN NOW PREPARES THE LEATHER PIECES

FOR THE SEAT COVERS.

IN THE UPHOLSTERY DEPARTMENT, EVERYTHING IS TAILOR-MADE.

EVEN THE LEATHERWORK REFLECTS THE COMPANY'S PHILOSOPHY

OF HONING EVERY ELEMENT TO ENHANCE VEHICLE PERFORMANCE.

CAR SEATS ARE AN OFTEN-OVERLOOKED COMPONENT,

EVEN IN SUPERCARS.

THE DESIGNERS OF THE KOENIGSEGG ONE:1

SAW THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER OPTIMIZE

THE PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE.

USING A COMBINATION OF MATERIALS,

THEY WERE ABLE TO DESIGN NEW SEATS THAT WEIGH 1/3 LESS

THAN THE ONES IN EARLIER KOENIGSEGG MODELS.

HERE, A WORKER USES A TOOL CALLED A SKIVING MACHINE

TO SHAVE THE LEATHER DOWN TO A PRECISE THICKNESS.

IN THE PAST, LEATHER WORKERS HAD TO PERFORM THIS STEP BY HAND.

NEXT, AN ARTISAN JOINS THE LEATHER SECTIONS

USING A SEWING MACHINE.

THIS LEVEL OF DEDICATED HANDWORK

RESULTS IN UNIQUELY FORMED UPHOLSTERY.

EACH KOENIGSEGG ONE:1 IS TRULY ONE OF A KIND.

THIS ARTISANAL HANDCRAFTING IS COMBINED

WITH AN INTENSE DEDICATION TO CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY.

DESIGNERS USED CUTTING-EDGE 3-D SCANNING

AND 3-D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY TO DESIGN THE SEATS FOR THE ONE:1.

THIS TECHNOLOGY ALLOWED DEVELOPERS

TO TAKE THE SEAT DESIGN FROM INITIAL EXPERIMENTATION

TO FINAL PRODUCT IN JUST FOUR WEEKS.

EVEN A SIMPLE FEATURE LIKE THE CAR SEAT

ILLUSTRATES THE COMPANY'S INTEREST

IN BRINGING TOGETHER FINE CRAFTSMANSHIP

WITH THE MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE.

KOENIGSEGG CREATES SMALL SAMPLE MODELS

OF THE SEATS FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.

THESE OFFER A WAY TO EASILY VISUALIZE

DIFFERENT PAINT AND UPHOLSTERY COMBINATIONS.

AFTER ALL, WHEN YOU'RE BUYING A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR CAR,

YOU WANT TO BE SURE YOU LIKE THE COLOR.

THE UPHOLSTERY DEPARTMENT HAS A HIGH-SPEED EMBROIDERY MACHINE.

IT'S CAPABLE OF STITCHING ANY IMAGE A CUSTOMER WISHES.

HERE, THE MACHINE CREATES THE KOENIGSEGG LOGO.

THE LOGO DESIGN IS BASED ON THE KOENIGSEGG SHIELD.

IT HAS BEEN THE FAMILY COAT OF ARMS

EVER SINCE THE HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR

KNIGHTED AN ANCESTOR BACK IN THE 12th CENTURY.

THAT MEDIEVAL KNIGHT MIGHT BE SURPRISED

TO SEE THE FAMILY CREST ON A FUTURISTIC SPEED MACHINE

WITH MORE THAN 1,360 TIMES THE POWER OF HIS HORSE.

THE LEATHERWORK IS NOW DONE.

IT'S TIME FOR A TECHNICIAN TO PUT THE SEAT TOGETHER.

THE SEAT IS LIGHTWEIGHT, COMFORTABLE, AND PLUSH,

BUT ALSO BUILT WITH SAFETY IN MIND.

KOENIGSEGG CONSIDERS SAFETY TO BE THEIR TOP PRIORITY.

THE CARS ARE CAREFULLY BALANCED TO IMPROVE THEIR AGILITY

AND ARE EQUIPPED WITH ALL MODERN SAFETY FEATURES.

THE DESIGNERS MADE ADDITIONAL SAFETY-MINDED INNOVATIONS

LIKE INTEGRATING THE 18-GALLON, HORSESHOE-SHAPED FUEL TANK

DIRECTLY INTO THE CHASSIS.

THE FINISHED SEAT LOOKS LIKE IT COULD DRIVE THE CAR BY ITSELF.

Narrator: UNDER ALL THAT CARBON FIBER

IS THE ONE:1 POWERHOUSE.

BUILT ENTIRELY BY HAND AT THE KOENIGSEGG FACILITY,

THIS 5-LITER V-8 ENGINE CAN CRANK OUT

AN OUTSTANDING 1,011 FOOT-POUNDS OF TORQUE.

BEFORE THE ENGINE IS EVEN BUILT, KOENIGSEGG ENGINEERS

RUN THEIR DESIGN

THROUGH A SERIES OF INTENSIVE COMPUTER SIMULATIONS.

THEY MAKE SURE ALL THE ENGINE'S PARTS WILL BE FULLY OPTIMIZED,

CHECKING AIR FLOW, FUEL FLOW, INTERNAL STRESSES,

AS WELL AS NOISE AND VIBRATION OUTPUTS.

KOENIGSEGG HAS A BUSY R&D DEPARTMENT.

HERE, A TECHNICIAN WORKS ON A NEW KIND OF VALVE TECHNOLOGY.

KOENIGSEGG AND FREE-VALVE ENGINEERS

ARE DEVELOPING INDIVIDUALLY CONTROLLED PNEUMATIC VALVES

BECAUSE THEY ARE CONVINCED

THAT CONVENTIONAL CAMSHAFTS ARE INEFFICIENT.

LIGHTER, SMALLER, AND MORE EFFICIENT,

THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL ALLOW COMPLETE CONTROL

OVER THE ENTIRE STROKE OF EACH VALVE.

THIS WILL PRODUCE MORE POWER WHILE SAVING FUEL.

OTHER CAR COMPANIES HAVE SHOWN GREAT INTEREST

IN THIS INNOVATIVE VALVE TECHNOLOGY.

BUT THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD WILL HAVE TO WAIT A FEW YEARS

BEFORE THAT ADVANCED SYSTEM IS READY FOR PRODUCTION.

IN THE MEANTIME, A TECHNICIAN WORKS ON INSTALLING

VALVE SPRINGS AS HE BUILDS THE ENGINE HEAD.

ONCE THEY'RE IN PLACE, HE USES A SPECIALIZED HANDHELD TOOL

TO POSITION THE LOCKING RINGS ONE BY ONE.

KOENIGSEGG HAS CREATED PISTON HEADS AND RINGS

THAT ARE EXTREMELY LIGHTWEIGHT.

THEY COAT THE COMPONENT WITH TEFLON

TO CREATE A ROBUST THERMAL BARRIER.

KOENIGSEGG HAS EVOLVED THE ONE:1 ENGINE

FROM THEIR AGERA POWERHOUSE.

THEY HAVE FINE-TUNED THE SOFTWARE

AND CHANGED THE CAMSHAFT, SPRINGS, VALVES, INJECTORS,

FUEL PUMPS, AND TURBO CHARGERS.

THESE MODIFICATIONS ALLOW THE ENGINE TO ACHIEVE MORE POWER

AT HIGHER RPMs WITHOUT PUTTING ADDITIONAL STRAIN ON THE BLOCK.

NEXT, THE TECHNICIAN PREPARES TO ATTACH THE RODS.

THE PISTONS ARE MADE OF ALUMINUM,

WHILE THE RODS ARE TITANIUM.

TITANIUM PROVIDES AN IDEAL COMBINATION

OF LOW MASS AND HIGH STRENGTH.

THE LOW MASS OF THE RODS

ALLOWS THE ENGINE TO REV TO HIGHER RPMs.

WHILE SOME MANUFACTURERS

ARE STARTING TO CREATE HYBRID SUPERCARS,

KOENIGSEGG IS DEDICATED

TO PERFECTING THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

HOWEVER, THE CARMAKER DOES HAVE AN EYE

TOWARD ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY.

IN ADDITION TO RACE FUEL AND REGULAR GAS,

BOTH THE KOENIGSEGG AGERA AND ONE:1 CAN RUN ON BIOFUEL.

NOW A TECHNICIAN INSTALLS THE COMPLETED PISTON ASSEMBLIES

INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK.

HE USES A POSITIONING TOOL

TO AVOID SCRATCHING THE POLISHED CYLINDER LINERS.

ONCE ALIGNED, HE TAMPS THE PISTON DOWN INTO PLACE.

HE ROTATES THE ENGINE BLOCK TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE CRANKSHAFT.

HE THEN PREPARES THE BOLTS THAT WILL JOIN

THE CONNECTING-ROD CAPS TO THE CONNECTING RODS.

THIS WILL LOCK THE PISTONS ONTO THE CRANKSHAFT.

THE ONE:1 ENGINE IS THE LATEST ITERATION

OF THE POWERHOUSE KOENIGSEGG HAS BEEN REFINING

SINCE ITS INCEPTION.

THIS ENGINE CAN TAKE THE CAR

FROM 0 TO 60 IN JUST 2.8 SECONDS,

AND 0 TO 120 IN 12 SECONDS FLAT.

TOP SPEED IS NOT A PRIORITY FOR KOENIGSEGG,

SO THEY HAVEN'T CLOCKED IT OFFICIALLY YET.

BUT UNOFFICIALLY, THEY'VE REACHED

SPEEDS OF OVER 270 MILES PER HOUR.

THAT'S FASTER THAN THE FASTEST CAR CURRENTLY ON RECORD.

HERE, A TECHNICIAN USES A TOOL CALLED A TOP DEAD CENTER GAUGE

TO SET THE TIMING CORRECTLY ON THE STEEL TIMING CHAIN.

WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING AN ENGINE FOR A MEGACAR LIKE THIS,

EVERY ELEMENT MUST ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.

Narrator: THE EXTREME PERFORMANCE

OF THE KOENIGSEGG ONE:1 IS MATCHED BY ITS EXTREME LOOKS.

IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE THAT THE WORLD'S FIRST MEGACAR

WOULD BE AS ASTONISHING OUTSIDE AS IT IS INSIDE.

HERE IN THE FINAL ASSEMBLY HALL,

TECHNICIANS PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON A KOENIGSEGG ONE:1.

THIS HINGE IS THE SECRET

BEHIND THE ONE:1's SIGNATURE DOOR SYSTEM.

KOENIGSEGG CAR DOORS HAVE ONLY ONE HINGE,

BUT IT'S AN EXTREMELY COMPLEX PIECE OF HARDWARE.

IT'S AN ENGINEERING FEAT THAT KOENIGSEGG HAS DEVELOPED.

IT'S CALLED THE DIHEDRAL SYNCHRO-HELIX DOOR SYSTEM.

IT CAN OPEN THE DOOR OUTWARD AND UPWARD AT THE SAME TIME.

BECAUSE KOENIGSEGG CARS ARE UNUSUALLY WIDE

AND LOW TO THE GROUND, THE DOOR IS VERY LONG.

MOST VERTICAL CAR DOORS TAKE UP A LOT OF SPACE,

BUT KOENIGSEGG'S UNIQUE DESIGN SOLVES THAT PROBLEM.

IT'S NOW TIME TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF THE BODY PANELS

LINE UP CORRECTLY TO PREPARE THE CAR FOR PAINTING AND STRIPING.

FOR QUALITY CONTROL, A WORKER USES A 3-D SCANNER.

A SPRAYED-ON STRIP OF TALCUM-LIKE WHITE POWDER

REFLECTS THE SCANNER'S LIGHT BETTER

THAN THE CARBON-FIBER SURFACE.

THE TECHNICIAN CAN CHECK THE SCAN AGAINST THE CAD DESIGN.

A WORKER PREPARES TO ATTACH THE POWER TRAIN TO THE CHASSIS.

MANUFACTURERS AT KOENIGSEGG CALL THIS STEP

"DOCKING THE ENGINE TO THE CHASSIS."

THE ONE:1 IS EQUIPPED WITH TWO LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

THAT GO INTO STANDBY MODE WHEN LOW.

FEW OWNERS DRIVE THEIR SUPERCARS EVERY DAY,

SO THOSE SPECIALIZED BATTERIES CAN START A CAR

AFTER WEEKS OR EVEN MONTHS OF INACTIVITY.

A WORKER NOW FITS THE HOLLOW-CORE CARBON-FIBER RIMS

INTO A JIG AND BEGINS INSTALLING THE TIRES.

THESE ARE NO ORDINARY TIRES.

THEY'RE MICHELIN PILOT SPORT CUP 2s.

KOENIGSEGG WORK CLOSELY WITH MICHELIN

TO DEVELOP TIRES THAT ARE CUSTOM-MADE

TO HANDLE THE ONE:1's OUTRAGEOUS TOP SPEED.

THEY ARE RATED TO 270 MILES PER HOUR.

A WORKER HAND-TIGHTENS THE SINGLE NUT.

THIS WILL LATER BE MACHINE-TORQUED

TO 590 FOOT-POUNDS.

THE CAR IS NOW COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED.

IT'S TIME TO INSPECT IT TO ENSURE

ALL DESIGN PARAMETERS HAVE BEEN MET.

THE KOENIGSEGG'S POWER TRAIN IS UNDER A REAR LID

INSTEAD OF THE TRADITIONAL FRONT HOOD.

A TECHNICIAN USES A HANDHELD PROBE SYSTEM

TO MEASURE THE POSITION OF EVERY COMPONENT UNDER THE REAR LID.

THE PROBE FEEDS ITS POSITION BACK TO THE CAD DESIGN.

A COMPUTER THEN COMPARES THE PROBE'S POSITION

WITH THE DESIGN, MAKING SURE EVERYTHING HAS BEEN INSTALLED

IN THE CORRECT POSITION.

THE WORKERS ALSO USE THIS SYSTEM

TO ADJUST THE CAR'S ALIGNMENT AND SUSPENSION GEOMETRY.

NEXT, SPECIALISTS TUNE THE CAR'S INTERIOR ACOUSTICS.

THEY CREATE AN ACOUSTIC MAP OF THE VEHICLE

BY CAREFULLY POSITIONING SOUND EQUIPMENT THROUGHOUT THE CAR.

THIS HELPS THEM USE THE CAR'S ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION SYSTEM

TO HONE THE SOUNDSCAPE OF THE COCKPIT.

[ ENGINE REVS ]

THEY CAN SILENCE UNWANTED ROAD NOISE AND MECHANICAL SOUNDS

BUT MAINTAIN THE RUMBLE OF THE ENGINE.

THE ONE:1's EXHAUST SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CREATE

A UNIQUE KOENIGSEGG GROWL

THAT THE CARMAKERS LIKE TO CALL "HIGH-TECH THUNDER."

[ ENGINE ROARING ]

FINALLY, IT'S TIME TO TAKE THE COMPLETED CAR OUTSIDE.

AN EXPERT DRIVER IS ACCOMPANIED BY A TECHNICIAN WITH A LAPTOP.

THEY SPEND HOURS ON THE TRACK TESTING AND TUNING

ALL THE OF THE VEHICLE'S DYNAMIC SYSTEMS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE ONE:1's SIGNATURE REAR WING

CHANGES ITS ANGLE DEPENDING ON AIR PRESSURE

AND THE CAR'S SPEED.

KOENIGSEGG IS HEADQUARTERED IN THE CONVERTED HANGARS

OF A FORMER SWEDISH AIR FORCE SQUADRON.

THE TECHNICIANS CONDUCT THEIR TESTS

ON AN AIRSTRIP BUILT FOR FIGHTER JETS.

THE INSIGNIA OF THAT AIR FORCE SQUADRON

NOW ADORNS EVERY KOENIGSEGG CAR.

IT'S THE FIGURE OF A GHOST.

THEY CALL IT "THE SPIRIT OF PERFORMANCE."

WHILE MANY SUPERCAR MAKERS

USE COMPONENTS FROM OTHER MANUFACTURERS

TO ENHANCE PERFORMANCE, KOENIGSEGG IS COMMITTED

TO BUILDING EACH OF THEIR CARS ALMOST ENTIRELY FROM SCRATCH.

THAT'S WHY IT TAKES MORE THAN 3,000 HOURS

TO MAKE A SINGLE CAR.

YEARS OF WORK, THOUSANDS OF CUSTOM-MADE PARTS,

ONE MEGAWATT OF POWER -- THE KOENIGSEGG ONE:1

IS TRULY ONE OF THE MOST ELITE CARS IN EXISTENCE.

BUT IF YOU HAPPEN TO WANT ONE

AND ALSO HAVE $3 MILLION TO SPARE, YOU'RE TOO LATE.

KOENIGSEGG IS ONLY BUILDING SIX OF THESE EXOTIC MACHINES,

AND THEY'RE ALREADY SOLD OUT.