What automotive does a person like Christian von Koenigsegg every day drive? The Swedish engineer and automotive CEO usually finds himself behind the wheel of the supercars that bear his title and residential crest, nonetheless he totally adores his Mazda MX-5 Miata. Sure, really. A person acknowledged for establishing seven-figure hypercars with four-digit vitality outputs likes to drive a bit little bit of four-cylinder Japanese sports activities actions actions automotive.
DrivingOnRoad sat down with Mr. von Koenigsegg on the Goodwood Opponents of Tempo, and our dialog bought a bit little bit of sidetracked attributable to our mutual love of Mazda’s best-selling roadster. Koenigsegg has a wonderful assortment of autos, nonetheless he at all times retains room for a Miata.
“I take [my Miata] to work a number of cases per week inside the summertime when there’s good native climate. I dwell seven minutes away by automotive to the workplace; nation roads by the ocean, no rush. I put the easiest down and positioned on the radio. There is no such thing as a vitality. Merely reminiscence lane and cruising. It is the right expertise.”
– Christian von Koenigsegg, founder and CEO of Koenigsegg Automotive.
Why Miata Is All the time The Reply
The Miata is usually launched on account of the butt of jokes attributable to its lack of vitality, nonetheless “exact” drivers like von Koenigsegg know that it is not at all times about straight-line effectivity. There is a aim why the MX-5 is likely to be in all probability essentially the most raced automotive on the planet.
“You should have that good steering truly actually really feel. It isn’t about vitality, it is merely enjoyment,” he acknowledged. “It’s type of a cushty slipper. It reminds me and everybody else that vitality simply is not every issue. Inside the event you’ll have the emotional value of 1 issue easy, like an MX-5, then add a ton of vitality to it, nonetheless not neglect the enjoyment of driving, you could want one issue fairly fascinating. So long as it has which suggests and function, all autos are final freedom machines.”
Each Miata interval has been gratifying to drive, nonetheless Mazda lovers every have a private favourite. Some revenue from the NA for its pop-up headlights, whereas others favor the enhancements made to the NB. The subsequent-generation mannequin is rumored to have a a lot larger engine, nonetheless it’s going to truly drop kilos in contrast with the present ND variant.
Miata DNA In Every Koenigsegg
Christian has beforehand spoken to us about his love for the Miata, even detailing how each Koenigsegg mannequin has a bit little bit of MX-5 DNA. Some Koenigsegg fashions much like the Gemera produce over 2,000 horsepower, over 12 occasions bigger than the present ND interval Miata, nonetheless that’s not the important issue promoting stage. “We focus rather more on driving expertise, and dealing with, and techniques, and the best method it feels than how briskly it’s. So for optimistic, inspiration comes from the MX-5,” Koenigsegg educated us as soon as extra in 2020.
Koenigsegg owned an real NA interval Miata, and he beloved it a lot, he tracked down the automotive and bought it as soon as extra. There’s even a well-known picture of Christian and his companion standing subsequent to the Miata. So merely contemplate the following time you try to say the Miata simply is not a “exact” sports activities actions actions automotive; Christian von Koenigsegg disagrees, and he is acutely aware of a component or two about autos.