SAN FRANCISCO: The latest hypercar from the record-breaking Swedish speed demons is designed for pleasure, not breaking records.
Christian von Koenigsegg has unveiled a hypercar birthday present he made for himself.
The Swedish automaker turned 50 on July 2, and debuted the Koenigsegg CC850 on Aug 19 in Carmel, Calif.
A 1,385-horsepower coupe with a detachable hardtop and doors that open upward, the US$3.65 million (RM16.3mil) CC850 is a modern take on the first production car von Koenigsegg ever made, the CC8S from 2002.
“Back then, no one knew who we were, but the CC8S still had quite amazing performance, and hopefully, people liked the looks,” von Koenigsegg said via telephone from a boat in the North Sea on Aug 12.
“By now, maybe we’re not a household name, but we are definitely an established player in our arena. Celebrating 20 years of production felt like the right time to appreciate our roots.”
Powered by a twin-turbo V8 engine that can run on E85 fuel, the CC850 has a low, sleek design, a roof slightly rounded to optimise aerodynamics, and wheels styled like telephone dials.
It looks futuristic and fast enough to launch a brigade to Mars, but its clean lines and simplified body feel more civilised and elegant than did previous Koenigsegg cars, which focused on extreme speed at the expense of other ways to appeal.
“The CC850 is up there, performance-wise, with our most extreme cars, but it's kind of this middle ground,” Koenigsegg said.
“It is an extreme machine with close to record-breaking performance in many, many ways, but with a focus of pure enjoyment, celebration, and the analog aspect of the hypercars of the past.”
Other Koenigsegg cars have certainly set near-extraterrestrial precedents.
When it debuted two decades ago, the 665hp CC8S boasted the most power of any production car at the time.
In 2017, the Koenigsegg Agera RS set the world land speed record when it hit 445kph.
A spokesman would not confirm performance numbers but said the CC850 is “similar to the (Koenigsegg) Jesko,” which has a zero to 100kph time of less than three seconds and a top speed of more than 480kph.
Von Koenigsegg said the CC850 is intended for diversions other than hitting rocket speed.
It is made for the pure joy of driving, offering a special “light speed transmission” that comes with a gated shifter and clutch pedal as an adaptable six-speed manual transmission.
A Swedish flag crowns the top of the manual shifter.
Alternatively, the car can be operated using a nine-speed automatic transmission.
The CC850 offers such creature comforts as leather interior, climate control, birds eye-view parking assistance, Apple CarPlay, USB connections, and a front/rear lift system to help it avoid scratching the underbody.
It follows another Koenigsegg offering with personal importance for the company founder: The Koenigsegg Jesko, named in honour of von Koenigsegg’s father, debuted at the Geneva Auto Show in 2019.
That car, a limited production mid-engine sports car with a twin-turbo V8, boasts 1,280hp to 1,600hp, depending on the fuel you use. Deliveries of the Jesko are scheduled to begin next year.
Only 50 CC850s will be made, including the one that von Koenigsegg intends to keep for himself.
A few remain available for purchase, said a spokesman. Deliveries will start in 2024.
