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Koenigsegg designer reveals how different the Gemera could have looked

The Swedish brand's head of design has shared early creative proposals for the hybrid megacar.


The designer behind the Koenigsegg Gemera has shared fascinating early sketches and 3D renders of the four-seater hybrid "megacar" that wowed the world when it made its debut earlier this month.

The $1.7 million (AU$2.56 million) vehicle – which boasts three electric motors – is the first 'Mega-GT' in the world. Only 300 will be produced, with a mere 10 of those making it to the Australian market.

It made its first appearance online after its scheduled debut at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show was cancelled over coronavirus contagion fears.

To give the car's fans a glimpse behind the proverbial curtain, Koenigsegg's head of design, Sasha Selipanov, took to Instagram to detail the car's development process, revealing it had been in the works for a while.

"The unique idea to build a 4 seat mega car has been in Christian’s mind for a long time!" Selipanov wrote on a post sharing photos from Koenigsegg founder Christian von Koenigsegg's archives.

Selipanov said he was inspired by the Koenigsegg CC prototype that debuted back in the early '90s, borrowing heavily from the CC's fascia for the design of the Gemera's front.

"Stance is important for any car, exponentially so for a Koenigsegg mega car! Gemera’s volumes were fine tuned to sit perfectly on the wheels," Selipanov explained.

The Koenigsegg CC prototype. Image courtesy of @raw.designhouse on Instagram.

The design brief was "a car with plenty of confidence and an assured stance however without overt aggression," Selipanov said, which was likely an effort to maintain Koenigsegg's desire for the Gemera to be "family-friendly".

Ensuing 3D renders posted by Selipanov show the various design stages of the Gemera side-by-side, revealing how the car's looks were honed over time to become sleeker, sportier and more angular.

Various iterations of the Gemera side-by-side in 3D proposals. Images courtesy of @raw.designhouse on Instagram.

The second part of the design process involved putting the 'egg' in 'Koenigsegg' by crafting an interior to house the car's four passengers that was "protective, cocooning and iconically round," said Selipanov.

Of course, another defining design feature on the Gemera is its distinctive scissor doors, which Selipanov said gave him "goosebumps" when he first saw them being raised in digital animation.

In an interview on Koenigsegg's official site, Selipanov said it was "vital" to "capture the essence of the megacar such as its stance, drama and athleticism, and to leave out the fact that it’s a four-seater".

"That aspect should be experienced as a complete surprise," he said.

"So, when you see the Gemera driving down a road, the first thought that comes to mind is, ah – that’s an extreme mid-engine performance car – with two seats," the designer added.

"Then as the Gemera pulls up, its massive B-pillar-less doors fly open – just then and not before it becomes apparent that it’s actually a true four-seater for four fully-grown individuals. That’s the surprise factor. It’s a have-your-cake-and-eat-it kind of car."

To see all of Selipanov's many Gemera design posts and read his commentary, head here.

Susannah Guthrie

Susannah Guthrie has been a journalist for over a decade, covering everything from world news to fashion, entertainment, health and now cars. Having previously worked across titles like The New Daily, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, People Magazine and Cosmopolitan, Susannah now relishes testing family cars with the help of her husband and two-year-old son.

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