When Christian von Koenigsegg built his first Swedish missile in 2002, the Koenigsegg CC8S set a Guinness record for the most powerful production engine, with a then breathtaking 655 horsepower.
To celebrate 20 years of making some of the fastest show cars in history and its 50th anniversary in July, Koenigsegg chose Pebble Beach (California, USA) to unbox an approximately $3 million recall: V -8, more than double the strength of its first hypercar. The CEO and founder of the company remembers a review from a British magazine about this CC8S.
“The CC850 is a tribute to the most significant car in Koenigsegg's history. The CC8S got us there – and celebrating 20 years in production, alongside my 50th birthday, seemed like the right time to reveal the CC850 to appreciate our roots. said Christian von Koenigsegg.
In the world of supercars and hypercars, the Koenigsegg CC8S (CC V8 Supercharged), unveiled at the 2000 Paris Motor Show, made an impression: by its very fine design, by the quality of its construction and by its performance: 664 hp and 750 Nm, weight 1100 kg (like an Alpine A110), 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 sec and VMax 390 km/h! The first copy built in 2002, then delivered the following year in Geneva, in 2003.
Limited to 50 copies worldwide. The Koenigsegg CC850 is positioned as a two-door supercar. It can be seen from the front that it retains the classic design style, such as the flat engine compartment and the wheel arch curve, etc. The new headlight adopts a new design, but the resemblance to Koenigsegg CCR is still noticeable.
In terms of power, the car is powered by a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with a maximum output of 1033 kW (1385 horsepower) and a maximum torque of 1385 Nm, so it became the transmission production car. most powerful manual in the world. Of course, it's not a conventional gearbox, it's called the 'Engage Shift System' and is based on the company's 'Light Speed Transmission'. The system took two years to develop and allows different gear ratios depending on the driving mode “providing tailored experiences depending on road or track use”. These modes are: 'normal', 'wet' and 'track'.
You can also place this beautifully designed lever on the other side and down, so that it turns into a nine-speed automatic. This, as Koenigsegg points out, is “unprecedented”. The look is fantastic, as is the exterior: sleek, simple lines, dial dial wheels and triple taillights pay homage to the CC8S.
But where this car broke records – including a Guinness World Record for the most powerful production engine – this one is built just to drive impeccably. "The CC850 was not created to break Jesko's track records or set new high watermarks for top speed, but to deliver the highest level of driver satisfaction and enjoyment with the exhilarating performance that Koenigsegg is famous. »