Koenigsegg makes world's most powerful production car

Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg specialises in brutally fast exotica - Koenigsegg's CC8S is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most powerful production car. With the introduction of the CCR at the Geneva Motor Show, they have effectively broken their own record - 806 hp at 6,900 rpm. The two-door, two-seater CCR's outrageous figures don't stop there. With a dry weight of 1180 kg, it has a power to weight ratio of 1.46 kg per hp, which is another industry best figure. With so much horsepower and so little weight, it's no surprise the CCR runs a standing quarter mile in nine seconds flat, with a terminal speed of 235kmh. The CCR does 0 to 100 kmh in 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of close to 400 kmh (245mph), thanks to a slippery Cd (drag co-efficient) of just 0.297 and a very low frontal area (1.825 m2).

Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg specialises in brutally fast exotica - Koenigsegg's CC8S is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most powerful production car. With the introduction of the CCR at the Geneva Motor Show, they have effectively broken their own record - 806 hp at 6,900 rpm.

The two-door, two-seater CCR's outrageous figures don't stop there. With a dry weight of 1180 kg, it has a power to weight ratio of 1.46 kg per hp, which is another industry best figure. With so much horsepower and so little weight, it's no surprise the CCR runs a standing quarter mile in nine seconds flat, with a terminal speed of 235kmh. The CCR does o to 100 kmh in 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of close to 400 kmh (245mph), thanks to a slippery Cd (drag co-efficient) of just 0.297 and a very low frontal area (1.825 m2).

In order to achieve the extremely low weight, the CCR body is made of preimpregnated carbonfibre/kevlar and has lightweight hard-foam sandwich reinforcements.

The roof is removable, and is stowed under the front boot lid. The record-holding motor is a cast aluminium 4.7 litre V8 with four valves per cylinder, double overhead camshafts, sequential, multipoint fuel injection, a Lysholm twin-screw supercharger with 1.2 bar boost pressure and an intercooler.

The power is fed to the rear wheels via a specially developed 6-speed Cima gearbox.The new CCR assumes top-of-the-range status at Koenigsegg, with all the features of the CC8S model plus refinements to the design of the side air intakes, different headlight arrangement, a revised rear design, larger brakes, a more powerful engine and a number of small performance-enhancing modifications as well as new front splitters for optimised downforce.

The extremely favourable power figures are made possible thanks to use of a specially developed Swedish Lysholm twin-screw compressor and a new exhaust system made of titanium. This takes the engine's power output to the extreme peak value of 806 hp at 6.900 rpm. The torque curve of the motor is strong over a wide rev range with over 550nm at just 2000rpm and over 700 nm all the way to the rev limit, with a peak of 920 Nm (678 ftlb) at 5,700 rpm.

As shown in the diagram, both max torque and power curves have their peak values over a fairly wide (1000 rpm) band. The CCR is decorated with a ghost symbol. This is to honour the Swedish Fighter Jet Squadron No. 1 which had their fighter jets in the same facility as Koenigsegg now occupies. The ghost was the squadron's symbol.

The CCR, like the car it supercedes, is aimed at the very top end of the sports car market. No price has been announced for the CCR, but the CC8 sold unoptioned, for US$470,000. Customer options include parking sensors, GPS navigation, a remote tracking system, a telephone system, a rearview camera, a sequenbtial F1-style gearbox, 4-point safety belts, additional noise insulation, larger front disks, and a carbonfibre rear twin fin wing. To read an on-road comparison of the CC8 with a Ferrari Enzo, McLaren F1 and Saleen S7, click here.