2008 Koenigsegg
Koenigsegg Edition, receiving its world debut at the Geneva show, is a special edition based on the CCX. Described by amiable company founder Christian von Koenigsegg as “the epitome of what we can do today,” it enjoys numerous engineering and styling enhancements.
It will be available in CCX and CCXR formats. The CCXR version is a flex-fuel car, meaning it can run on any combination of E85 and standard gasoline. When running on gasoline, the Edition’s enlarged 4.8-liter engine develops 888 horsepower, but when burning E85 the CCXR Edition boosts that to 1018. E85 is composed of 85 percent ethanol biofuel, an energy source appealing to many environmentally conscious people.
The Edition’s unpainted carbon-fiber finish instantly distinguishes it from the standard CCX, and it has a bigger air splitter and “wing” design of the front bumper, special forged polished aluminum wheels. Top speed is currently quoted at 400 km/h (approx. 248 mph), but the company is confident that the car can be pushed further — in fact, they plan to take a tilt at the world speed record for a production car, and also hope to set the fastest times around the Nurburgring and Hockenheim racing circuits.
Compared to other supercars, however, Koenigseggs don’t only score for their raw performance: like the helpfully, environmentally aware staff, this Swedish company and its products really are the friendly faces of the supercar industry.
Koenigsegg claims that the car’s chassis design allows the use of a compliant suspension without excessive wheel movement, meaning that excellent road holding doesn’t need to come at the expense of bone-jarring ride. With a car like this “you would expect your teeth to fall out when you aim for the potholes…but [with ours] this is not the case,” said Koenigsegg.
Other valuable attributes include the largest luggage space in any supercar, a suspension that can be hydraulically raised by 50 mm to cope with road obstacles, and a passenger cabin that can accommodate people up to 2 meters (over 6 feet 6 inches) tall.
The Edition’s aerodynamic packaging generates 350 kg (770 lbs.) of downforce at 250 km/h (155 mph), aiding handling, but for road cruising the rear spoiler can be removed (it will fit in the luggage compartment) to reduce drag significantly and improve economy.
Inside the Edition is a chronographic instrument pack, in which all needles pivot from the same point, offering drivers all the information they want in a single glance. Leather covered seats, like virtually all of the rest of the car, are made of carbon fiber.
A total of six flexfuel CCXR Editions will be produced, of which four are already sold, and fourteen CCX Editions. The CCXR Edition is priced at €1.5m (approx. $2.3 million U.S.), and the CCX Edition at €1.3m (approx. $2 million U.S.), compared to “just” €680,000 (approx. $1.5 million) for the standard CCX.