A few days ago, the automotive world was shook to its core when aKoenigsegg One:1 crashed at the Nürburgring. The accident not only caused a lot of people to faint, or come close to it like I did, but more importantly, it opened up a lot of questions on what exactly caused the One:1 to careen straight into a barrier. Well, the One:1 was immediately sent back to Koenigsegg headquarters where company engineers immediately did an examination of both the damaged car and its on-board telemetry. Apparently, the culprit behind the crash is the left front ABS wheel sensor.
We theorized as much when we saw the skid marks left by the One:1 as it went off the track. Those marks indicated that something went wrong with the ABS, and after careful examination, Koenigsegg not only confirmed our suspicions, it also dove into the details of what exactly happened in the moments leading up to, during, and after the crash.
According to the automaker, the supercar had a front axle brake lock-up while it was going at a speed of 106 mph on a section of the track known as Fuchsröhre. The lock-up caused the driver to lose control of the car, resulting in the One:1 hitting the fence at Adenauer Forst at a speed of about 68 mph. The impact sent the One:1 flying to the air for an estimated 22 meters while turning 180 degrees. It eventually landed on its left rear wheel and pivoted to land parallel with the fence that it just hit. All of the car’s safety systems, including the airbags and the fuel shut-off, deployed as they were supposed to do.
The straight skid marks left by the front tires before the car hit the fence came as a result of the ABS system’s backup feature working to specification. This feature, according to Koenigsegg, allows the rear wheels to continue spinning in the event of an ABS malfunction that results in the front wheel locking up. This was put in place to prevent the car from rotating. When the One:1’s ABS system malfunctioned and the front wheels locked up, the rear wheels kept turning, helping create the skid marks that were left by the front tires.
As bad as the crash was, there is a silver lining to all of this misery. First and most important is that the driver of the car didn’t suffer any serious injuries. Second is that the One:1, despite looking like a mangled heap, can still be rebuilt. The carbon monocoque chassis, doors, and removable roof are all intact and properly functioning. Apart from a small fire that ignited when the carbon fiber rear panels and the exhaust made contact upon landing, the car suffered no fuel, oil, and hydraulic fuel leaks.
As expected, Koenigsegg plans to rebuild the car and will continue performing testing at the Nürburgring. There will be some delays given the unexpected developments, but once the car has been rebuilt, it will return to the scene of the crash to continue its test runs. Koenigsegg didn’t give out an exact date on when the One:1 will be rebuilt, but in true company fashion, it left the door slightly ajar for a possible return to the track within this year.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
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