The Fast Show - Koenigsegg CCR & CC8S

i found this article on autoemirates.com

Forget the Ferrari Enzo. Move over Merc SLR. And that goes for you too, Carrera GT. Bugatti Veyron? Don’t bother. Why?

Because here is a car with the potential to surpass them all. And to top it all up, it isn’t even built by any of the big corporations whose badges are seen all around the world – on the streets or on the race tracks.

So what is this car, you ask and where does it come from? Well, to answer the last bit first, it comes from Sweden and the name is Koenigsegg.

This car is built by a gentleman having the same last name and who has the looks of a very young Telly Savalas – bald pate and all. Christian von Koenigsegg is the full name of this young Swede who had the passion for all things cars and who had this unrelenting dream of building his own super car ever since he saw a Norwegian movie about a bicycle maker surmounting the odds and making his own car – he was five at that time.

Having an astute and uncanny business acumen and entrepreneurial skills, Christian took his first steps in the world of business 23 years ago when he started a trading company called Alpraaz in Stockholm, Sweden. While running a trading company gave him the necessary financial standing, the young Christian’s heart was aching to do what he always aspired. And that was to make a car that would be so exclusive that only a select few could afford it but at the same time would exceed the limits of the world’s fastest cars.

Characterising himself as an inventor, Christian began his automotive journey and laid the groundwork for what is today the “most powerful production car” on the planet (duly certified by the Guinness Book of World Records). He has patented many of his engineering innovations, which can be seen on the Koenigsegg CCR and CC8S models. These include the unique door hinge mechanism, detachable hardtop, supercharger response system and the catalytic converter that has been suitably worked upon to reduce emissions even further while aiding in generating better power.

Depending on your point of view the 806 bhp, 242 mph (400+ kph) Koenigsegg CCR is either inspired or insane; an impressive statement or a vain attempt at glorifying a small company’s ego in taking on the big boys. It’s not so much whether the world needs another 200-plus mph supercar; its whether anyone will take one with a relatively unknown badge seriously.

But Christian von Koenigsegg is deadly serious about his creations that are hand-made by a full regime of 44 employees, including the engineering, design and production staff. One can see the gleam as his eyes light up when he is talking about his cars. He says: “When I started out 23 years ago I had the dream to build a fast sports car. Back then it was just an idea and now it has turned into a reality. The ambition to build the fastest road car in the world has been my motivation right from the start and I am happy that we have achieved this milestone.”

“Right from the beginning, our intention was to take small but firm steps towards our goal and the journey has been a long one. We were very clear in the DNA we would infuse in our cars. They had to have performance and technology as the benchmark in the category while retaining all the ethos of being true blue driver’s cars. That is to say, whilst we used the best technology available whilst making the car, we refrained from adding a lot of driving aids and complex electronics that would have only diverted the onus from the driver. So we have retained the traditional rear wheel drive layout, along with a six-speed manual gearbox, giving the driver the means to truly experience the joys of driving this super car.”

Koenigsegg builds two models – the CCR and the CC8S. The first production unit left the company’s premises in 2002 and since then 23 more units have gone through the gates. Christian’s sales target for this year are an ambitious 25 units and he seems confident of getting to this number. One of the reasons for his confidence stems from the fact that he has set up a good dealer network all around the globe excluding the lucrative US market. He has not made any move to shift some of his outrageously fast cars Stateside. This is not because the vehicles are not emission or crash tested as such – they being extremely proficient in these department as they are in their all round capabilities.

Just for the record, the Koenigsegg CC8S is one of the first supercars that have passed the new offset frontal and side impact crash tests, with the Swedish Autoliv crash test centre claiming that the CC8S was one of the safest cars they have ever tested.

Sweden is not exactly in the centre of the world when it comes to super cars. Places that spring to mind are more likely to be Italy, Germany and the UK etc. Sweden is more renowned for its minimalistic approach to design, witness the range of furniture and other household accessories from Ikea and, in the automotive world, Volvo and Saab. For sure, the Volvos and Saabs of today are decidedly much more curvaceous than before but the fact remains they still retain their Swedishness. And so is the case with the Koenigsegg. In a land of around 8 million people, the Swedes are highly automotive intense with a high knowledge base and for them a Swedish supercar makes for some smiling faces. This is a car with an honest approach and is minimalistic to the core, giving a focused design.

Select first from the six-speed manual gearbox, keep the revs high and release the clutch and we are off. At low speeds it is surprisingly docile, but when Andreas gives it a bootful of the right foot, the CC8S surges forward with velocity akin to the space shuttle and the digital speedo does a encoded dance as the speed climbs into the stratosphere. The roar of the mid-mounted Koenigsegg-developed semi-stressed quad cam 32-valve, 4.7-litre V8-cylinder engine is glorious – especially when on full song. This aluminium alloy unit uses a single intercooled supercharger along with dry sump lubrication, coil on plug ignition, piston spray cooling, forged crank, connecting rods and pistons. Max power generated is 655 bhp at 6,800 rpm, while max torque is 750 Nm at 5,000 rpm.

And then it is time to slow down again as the ubiquitous white van looms into view. The braking is again stupendous – again surprisingly Koenigsegg has gone along with conventional but specially developed steel discs employing six-pot calipers (front) with four-pots on the rear wheels. ABS is standard

The acceleration is fantastic with the company claiming a 0-100 kph time of just 3.5 seconds (the CCR does the ton in 3.2 secs). The power band is linear as long as the revs are held a bit high. There is a lovely thump from the gearbox as shifts are executed – very racecar like! Koenigsegg says that the CCR is the fastest car in the world with a top speed in excess of 400-plus kph and the Guinness Book of World Records has certified this. Well, whether it does that figure or not, it sure felt extremely fast and on some stretches – relatively short at times – a glance at the speedo showed some amazing numbers. The grip of the specially developed 400kph-rated Michelin PS2 tyres is amazing and so is the stiffness of the chassis. There is no indication of any flex from this semi monocoque self-supporting unit made up of 21 layers of carbonfibre honeycomb. The unit is built on the same principles as a Formula 1 car and gives the occupants excellent protection and provides superior rigidity, important for handling. And it shows! Flick the car side to side and it goes without any twist or flex. Think of a go-kart’s handling and multiply that ten-fold and you have it!

For something to go fast, then it has to be sleek and the whole engineering bit is draped over in a sensual form. The Koenigsegg looks like a super car with all the right curves and is inspired by the ‘design by nature’, a combination of fish and bird. It sits low and the semicircular windscreen gives it a wide stance with the wheels at the corners of the car. The lines and surfaces are clean, giving an elegant persona to this slippery beast. The bonnet and boot are flip-type and when opened, they expose the whole chassis, engine and luggage compartments. The detachable hardtop can be removed by pulling two handles from within the cockpit and stowed in the front luggage compartment.

The door opening mechanism is an advanced Koenigsegg construction that enables the door swinging outwards/upwards in a single movement with a minimum of effort to fully open at a ninety-degree angle. Each car is hand built and takes 2500 man-hours to make, while the order to delivery time is around six months.

Christian von Koenigsegg and his partners have invested more than 30 million US dollars into this project and it is now payback time as the products are being much sought after. One of his creations was recently sold in the UAE and the future looks bright for this new member into the supercar club, as Koenigsegg seeks to make further inroads into the Gulf.


Forget the Ferrari Enzo. Move over Merc SLR. And that goes for you too, Carrera GT. Bugatti Veyron? Don’t bother. Why?

Because here is a car with the potential to surpass them all. And to top it all up, it isn’t even built by any of the big corporations whose badges are seen all around the world – on the streets or on the race tracks.

So what is this car, you ask and where does it come from? Well, to answer the last bit first, it comes from Sweden and the name is Koenigsegg.

This car is built by a gentleman having the same last name and who has the looks of a very young Telly Savalas – bald pate and all. Christian von Koenigsegg is the full name of this young Swede who had the passion for all things cars and who had this unrelenting dream of building his own super car ever since he saw a Norwegian movie about a bicycle maker surmounting the odds and making his own car – he was five at that time.

Having an astute and uncanny business acumen and entrepreneurial skills, Christian took his first steps in the world of business 23 years ago when he started a trading company called Alpraaz in Stockholm, Sweden. While running a trading company gave him the necessary financial standing, the young Christian’s heart was aching to do what he always aspired. And that was to make a car that would be so exclusive that only a select few could afford it but at the same time would exceed the limits of the world’s fastest cars.

Characterising himself as an inventor, Christian began his automotive journey and laid the groundwork for what is today the “most powerful production car” on the planet (duly certified by the Guinness Book of World Records). He has patented many of his engineering innovations, which can be seen on the Koenigsegg CCR and CC8S models. These include the unique door hinge mechanism, detachable hardtop, supercharger response system and the catalytic converter that has been suitably worked upon to reduce emissions even further while aiding in generating better power.

Depending on your point of view the 806 bhp, 242 mph (400+ kph) Koenigsegg CCR is either inspired or insane; an impressive statement or a vain attempt at glorifying a small company’s ego in taking on the big boys. It’s not so much whether the world needs another 200-plus mph supercar; its whether anyone will take one with a relatively unknown badge seriously.

But Christian von Koenigsegg is deadly serious about his creations that are hand-made by a full regime of 44 employees, including the engineering, design and production staff. One can see the gleam as his eyes light up when he is talking about his cars. He says: “When I started out 23 years ago I had the dream to build a fast sports car. Back then it was just an idea and now it has turned into a reality. The ambition to build the fastest road car in the world has been my motivation right from the start and I am happy that we have achieved this milestone.”

“Right from the beginning, our intention was to take small but firm steps towards our goal and the journey has been a long one. We were very clear in the DNA we would infuse in our cars. They had to have performance and technology as the benchmark in the category while retaining all the ethos of being true blue driver’s cars. That is to say, whilst we used the best technology available whilst making the car, we refrained from adding a lot of driving aids and complex electronics that would have only diverted the onus from the driver. So we have retained the traditional rear wheel drive layout, along with a six-speed manual gearbox, giving the driver the means to truly experience the joys of driving this super car.”

Koenigsegg builds two models – the CCR and the CC8S. The first production unit left the company’s premises in 2002 and since then 23 more units have gone through the gates. Christian’s sales target for this year are an ambitious 25 units and he seems confident of getting to this number. One of the reasons for his confidence stems from the fact that he has set up a good dealer network all around the globe excluding the lucrative US market. He has not made any move to shift some of his outrageously fast cars Stateside. This is not because the vehicles are not emission or crash tested as such – they being extremely proficient in these department as they are in their all round capabilities.



Just for the record, the Koenigsegg CC8S is one of the first supercars that have passed the new offset frontal and side impact crash tests, with the Swedish Autoliv crash test centre claiming that the CC8S was one of the safest cars they have ever tested.

Sweden is not exactly in the centre of the world when it comes to super cars. Places that spring to mind are more likely to be Italy, Germany and the UK etc. Sweden is more renowned for its minimalistic approach to design, witness the range of furniture and other household accessories from Ikea and, in the automotive world, Volvo and Saab. For sure, the Volvos and Saabs of today are decidedly much more curvaceous than before but the fact remains they still retain their Swedishness. And so is the case with the Koenigsegg. In a land of around 8 million people, the Swedes are highly automotive intense with a high knowledge base and for them a Swedish supercar makes for some smiling faces. This is a car with an honest approach and is minimalistic to the core, giving a focused design.

[U]Shaken and Stirred[/U]

Quartermile, the official dealer for Koenigsegg in the UAE, invited us to go along for a spin in the CC8S and boy, oh boy, was it good! Riding shotgun with Andreas Petre, Quartermile’s general manager, the ride was awesome, although it was over a tad too soon.

Sit in the car and it is surprisingly snug and comfortable. Koenigsegg has clearly dispelled the myth that driving one of the world’s fastest cars means living with an interior that’s all minimalist carbonfibre and aluminium, overlaid with the sweaty, fireproof whiff of full-race testosterone. Yes, in certain ways, it is minimalist, in Swedish tradition, with just the bare minimum of dials and controls on the facia and centre console. The interior is beautifully finished and features an impressive complement of luxury car goodies, including climate control, power windows, leather-trimmed seats and dashboard and a booming CD sound system. The layout is strictly symmetrical with the details mirrored in the centerline. Seats are carbonfibre with leather overlays and uses Tempur, a NASA developed material. The main instrument cluster sits behind the steering wheel and is mounted on the steering column so that it always faces the driver. The metal parts are of machined and anodized aluminium, giving them a frostlike shine that stands out against the leather.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Acceleration 0-100 km/h, 0-62 mp/h under 3.5 sec.

Top speed 390 km/h, 240 mp/h

Quarter mile time 10 sec, end speed 217 km/h

Lateral G 1.15 G

Braking distance 100-0 km/h: 32 meters

Dry weight 1,170 kg

Aerodynamic Cd value 0.30 with down force

ENGINE

Mid mounted Koenigsegg developed semi-stressed Quad Cam 32-valve 8 cylinder engine (90 degree V formation). 4.7 lt displacement. Aluminum alloy. Single intercooled supercharger. Drysump lubrication, coil on plug ignition, piston spray cooling, forged crank, connecting rods and pistons.

Max. power 655 HP at 6,800 rpm

Max. torque 750 Nm at 5,000 rpm

Redline at 7,500 rpm

Fuel consumption: Highway travel: 9 lt/100km, combined consumption: 14 lt/100 km.

DIMENSIONS

Height 1,070 mm, 42.1 in

Length 4,190 mm, 165 in

Width 1,990 mm, 78.3 in

Wheelbase 2,660 mm, 104.7 in

TRANSMISSION

Six-speed transaxle gearbox with internal oilpump and external Setrab air to oil cooler, torque sensitive limited slip differential. Gear ratios: 1st 2.875:1, 2nd 1.772:1, 3rd 1.266:1, 4th 1:1, 5th 0.830:1, 6th 0.711:1, rev. 3:1.

Final Rati 3.364

STEERING

Rack and pinion 2.7 turns lock to lock

Turning circle 11 meters

CLUTCH

Specially developed 215 mm AP-Racing 2 disc clutch with integrated starter ring.

SUSPENSION

Double wishbones, coil springs, pushrod operated specially developed Öhlins gas-hydraulic shock absorbers, anti roll bars. Hydraulic ride height adjustment system.

BRAKES

Koenigsegg specially developed units with ventilated discs and aluminum bell-housings.

Front 345 mm diameter, 32 mm wide, 6 calipers

Rear 330 mm diameter, 30 mm wide, 4 calipers

BODY

Coupe/Convertible (stowable hardtop). Pre-impregnated carbonfiber and Kevlar. Lightweight sandwich construction. Aerodynamic drag: 0.30 Cd. Front luggage compartment: 120 lt.

CHASSIS

Koenigsegg integrated semi-monocoque. Pre-impregnated carbonfiber (woven and unidirectional) and aluminum honeycomb sandwich construction.

Stiffness: 28.100 Nm/degree.

WHEELS

Koenigsegg developed magnesium alloy wheels

Front, center bolt 18 x 9.0 in

Rear, center bolt 18 x 11.5 in

Shaken and Stirred

Quartermile, the official dealer for Koenigsegg in the UAE, invited us to go along for a spin in the CC8S and boy, oh boy, was it good! Riding shotgun with Andreas Petre, Quartermile’s general manager, the ride was awesome, although it was over a tad too soon.

Sit in the car and it is surprisingly snug and comfortable. Koenigsegg has clearly dispelled the myth that driving one of the world’s fastest cars means living with an interior that’s all minimalist carbonfibre and aluminium, overlaid with the sweaty, fireproof whiff of full-race testosterone. Yes, in certain ways, it is minimalist, in Swedish tradition, with just the bare minimum of dials and controls on the facia and centre console. The interior is beautifully finished and features an impressive complement of luxury car goodies, including climate control, power windows, leather-trimmed seats and dashboard and a booming CD sound system. The layout is strictly symmetrical with the details mirrored in the centerline. Seats are carbonfibre with leather overlays and uses Tempur, a NASA developed material. The main instrument cluster sits behind the steering wheel and is mounted on the steering column so that it always faces the driver. The metal parts are of machined and anodized aluminium, giving them a frostlike shine that stands out against the leather.

Select first from the six-speed manual gearbox, keep the revs high and release the clutch and we are off. At low speeds it is surprisingly docile, but when Andreas gives it a bootful of the right foot, the CC8S surges forward with velocity akin to the space shuttle and the digital speedo does a encoded dance as the speed climbs into the stratosphere. The roar of the mid-mounted Koenigsegg-developed semi-stressed quad cam 32-valve, 4.7-litre V8-cylinder engine is glorious – especially when on full song. This aluminium alloy unit uses a single intercooled supercharger along with dry sump lubrication, coil on plug ignition, piston spray cooling, forged crank, connecting rods and pistons. Max power generated is 655 bhp at 6,800 rpm, while max torque is 750 Nm at 5,000 rpm.

And then it is time to slow down again as the ubiquitous white van looms into view. The braking is again stupendous – again surprisingly Koenigsegg has gone along with conventional but specially developed steel discs employing six-pot calipers (front) with four-pots on the rear wheels. ABS is standard.

The acceleration is fantastic with the company claiming a 0-100 kph time of just 3.5 seconds (the CCR does the ton in 3.2 secs). The power band is linear as long as the revs are held a bit high. There is a lovely thump from the gearbox as shifts are executed – very racecar like! Koenigsegg says that the CCR is the fastest car in the world with a top speed in excess of 400-plus kph and the Guinness Book of World Records has certified this. Well, whether it does that figure or not, it sure felt extremely fast and on some stretches – relatively short at times – a glance at the speedo showed some amazing numbers. The grip of the specially developed 400kph-rated Michelin PS2 tyres is amazing and so is the stiffness of the chassis. There is no indication of any flex from this semi monocoque self-supporting unit made up of 21 layers of carbonfibre honeycomb. The unit is built on the same principles as a Formula 1 car and gives the occupants excellent protection and provides superior rigidity, important for handling. And it shows! Flick the car side to side and it goes without any twist or flex. Think of a go-kart’s handling and multiply that ten-fold and you have it!

For something to go fast, then it has to be sleek and the whole engineering bit is draped over in a sensual form. The Koenigsegg looks like a super car with all the right curves and is inspired by the ‘design by nature’, a combination of fish and bird. It sits low and the semicircular windscreen gives it a wide stance with the wheels at the corners of the car. The lines and surfaces are clean, giving an elegant persona to this slippery beast. The bonnet and boot are flip-type and when opened, they expose the whole chassis, engine and luggage compartments. The detachable hardtop can be removed by pulling two handles from within the cockpit and stowed in the front luggage compartment.

The door opening mechanism is an advanced Koenigsegg construction that enables the door swinging outwards/upwards in a single movement with a minimum of effort to fully open at a ninety-degree angle. Each car is hand built and takes 2500 man-hours to make, while the order to delivery time is around six months.

Christian von Koenigsegg and his partners have invested more than 30 million US dollars into this project and it is now payback time as the products are being much sought after. One of his creations was recently sold in the UAE and the future looks bright for this new member into the supercar club, as Koenigsegg seeks to make further inroads into the Gulf.

SERVICE

Full factory and retailer support. Service intervals: Oil, filter and general inspection, suspension geometry check, sparkplug change every 10,000 km. Cooling fluid every 24 months. Brake fluid every 12 months. Retailers provide in-house service in the USA, Europe, and the Middle East. Koenigsegg has a flying mechanic on stand-by. A GSM satellite uplink can be provided, so engine statistics can be distance monitored from the local service station or the Koenigsegg HQ.
TYRES

Front: 245/40 ZR 18

Rear: 315/40 ZR 18

FUEL TANK CAPACITY

80 lt.

EDUCATION

Three days of high performance driving instruction with safety and technical education included.

STANDARD EQUIPMENT
Stowable hardtop, climate control, electric rear mirrors, leather interior, central locking, electric windows, alarm with immobilizer, toolkit, airbag, power steering, hydraulic ride height control, servo assisted brakes, ABS, traction control, stereo with CD.

COSTUMER OPTIONS

Parking sensor, GPS navigation and/or tracking system, telephone system, rearview camera, fitted luggage, car cover, one-piece carbonfiber rear wing, Twin-fin rear wings, 20 in magnesium wheels, aluminum rear light casings, 4 point safety belts, roll cage (for racing only, warranty void)

WARRANTY

Two years warranty, 10 years corrosion warranty.