KNC Regera - first full carbon hypercar ever

The Koenigsegg Naked Carbon Regera (KNC) is the first car ever finished entirely in exposed, uncoated carbon fiber, a one-off hypercar that left Koenigsegg's Angelholm plant with every single body panel made of pure, hand-polished weave. Where rivals build a carbon chassis and then paint over it, this Regera reveals the raw material itself, making it the first full carbon Regera and a landmark in carbon fiber hypercar design.

What is Koenigsegg Naked Carbon (KNC)?

KNC involves no lacquer, varnish or alternative coating on top of the carbon surface. The thin layer of epoxy that normally covers a high-end, autoclaved, cured carbon piece is carefully removed by hand polishing. It is an extremely sensitive process: one stroke too many will ruin the visible weave structure underneath the thin epoxy layer, and an imperfect surface cannot be smoothed out or compensated for on the final body panel. Koenigsegg refined the technique over years, starting on wheels, wings, splitters and steering wheels before applying it to an entire car. You can read the full account on the official Koenigsegg site.

Why build the first full carbon Regera?

We already know the Regera, the hybrid hypercar Koenigsegg launched in 2016 to succeed the record-setting Agera series begun in 2010. Just 80 Regera units were planned, all sold before production started. The last Regera to leave the factory became the most special of all: the first ever finished completely in Koenigsegg Naked Carbon. This is not a standard carbon fiber chassis supercar with bodywork laid over it. Every single component of this majestic full carbon Koenigsegg is made of exposed carbon, giving it a metallic graphite appearance from the visible strands.

Is naked carbon more than a styling exercise?

The exclusive carbon use and the absence of paints and additives are more than an aesthetic quirk. The KNC surface is far less sensitive to stone chips and sharp objects than conventional surface treatments, and Koenigsegg says it resists scratches, chips and cracks better than regular carbon fiber. Removing heavier paint and lacquer also shaves around 20 kilograms (44 pounds), so the imposing 1500 BHP hybrid powertrain gives its best on a noticeably lighter car. As Top Gear noted on its reveal, the result stops you in your tracks.

But what we appreciate most is, of course, the breath-taking visual impact of a hypercar wearing nothing but its own structure.

Explore more hypercars and automotive art at TheArsenale

If the naked carbon Regera speaks to you, browse our full cars collection of hypercars, concepts and custom builds, and our wider Culture & Design collection. For the Koenigsegg faithful, the Koenigsegg Edition titanium espresso machine brings the same obsession with materials to your home, while the Luminous Supercar 1984 art piece celebrates the supercar form on your wall.