Carbon fiber model making – the KNC Regera car from Koenigsegg

The Swedish manufacturer Koenigsegg produced the world’s first car with carbon fiber model construction, which was made entirely from the material “Naked Carbon” – KNC. Your special edition – the beautiful Regera sports car – is really something special. The difference between this model and those that were sold last year is the carbon fiber technology. At KNC, no paints or alternative coatings are used on the carbon surface. The thin layer of epoxy, which usually covers an autoclave-hardened high-end carbon piece, is carefully removed by hand polishing. This is an extremely sensitive process. One hit too many can ruin the visible fabric structure under the thin epoxy layer.

Impressive carbon fiber model building

Each plate has been carefully sanded and polished by hand so as not to damage the precious fabric. After this tedious process, you can actually feel the mesh of carbon fiber as you run your hand along the outside.

Since there is no paint or clear varnish on the car and the thin epoxy layer is sanded away, the carbon fiber model is actually 20 kg lighter than a painted Koenigsegg. The KNC Regera, which was recently delivered to its owner in Switzerland, is the first Koenigsegg to ever produce this extreme and exciting solution. So this is definitely a stunning car that deserves everyone’s attention.

The end result is a striking new look for carbon fiber model making. The car body gets cold quickly because the material is pure carbon. The car manufacturer used this instead of an insulating epoxy or paint layer with carbon fiber underneath. The gloss takes on a metallic graphite appearance, as each strand of graphite is now completely exposed.

This bold specification – a first for Koenigsegg and, as far as we know, a world first – was ordered and specified by the Swiss dealer Carage. After the Geneva Motor Show in March 2019, there will also be a grand opening for Carage.

Innovative design

Koenigsegg has perfected carbon fiber model making as a method over several years. The brand has also applied the material to parts such as wheels, wings, splinters, winglets, and steering wheels to great effect. Before deciding on an entire car, the samples were exposed to the summer heat and sun, as well as wet and cold in winter. The pieces were also kept outdoors for several years to ensure that the elements did not adversely affect the amazing surface.

Carbon fiber parts are manufactured by Koenigsegg in three different ways:

– Outer panels are sanded and then painted with a color, a clear coat or a combination of both.

– Some parts of the carbon fiber under the hood will have the epoxy layer polished, creating an effect similar to that of clear coat.

– Most of the parts under the hood and in the interior have had their epoxy removed and then polished to raw carbon.

A very delicate process that involves both grinding and polishing. The margin of error is extremely fine and can either result in a perfect, shiny finish or ruin the threads of the exposed carbon fibers. This last process is used for the first time for the exterior in carbon fiber model making.

An interesting benefit of KNC is that the paints are much softer than the exposed carbon. Compared to conventional surface treatments, the surface is less sensitive to stone chips and sharp objects. Carbon fiber model making requires an absolutely perfect production tool to perfect parts yourself.

Incomplete surfaces cannot be smoothed, adjusted or leveled on the final body panel. Every panel must therefore be perfect before it is considered for use in a KNC car. The fact that such a process is even possible shows the extreme tolerances and quality control of Koenigsegg production.