Autoblog

Click image above for high-res gallery of the CCXR Edition

Covering a show like Geneva has its ups and downs for a journalist. Most of the time you are trying to follow a very tight schedule of press conferences that has you shifting 50 feet every fifteen minutes for about 12 hours a day. The upside is that the cars (and sometimes people) around you are quite often breathtaking and, besides the travel expenses, the whole party is free. As much as you'd like to linger, it can be extremely difficult because of the itinerary. Automakers generally have personnel on hand to answer questions, but if you linger you risk missing out on the next big thing across the aisle. But then there are those serendipitous moments when you just happen to be in the right place at the right time.

When we went back into the hall a few minutes ago to get a few more interior shots of the Koenigsegg CCXR Edition, we happened to spot Christian von Koenigsegg himself. We reached out a hand, introduced ourselves and mentioned that we had the chance to drive one of his supercars last fall in Las Vegas. We chatted a bit about the fact that we were expecting a black/red Edition here in Geneva and he said that this was a one-of-a-kind special order, "a Picasso" he joked. What he said next just about floored us. According to Koenigsegg, it took his team about 3,000 hours to hand lay the carbon fiber for this naked knockout. Then he mentioned that the beauty is far more than skin deep. The car produces so much more downforce that he thinks it is one of the easiest supercars to drive. We know we never had any trouble with the old one, but some others have. Then he talked about the fact that he wants to get the car out for more testing. He mentioned the 'RIng and another assault on the Top Gear track. He also shared that six of these Editions have already been sold and that more orders are in process since the show started yesterday. And just like that we remembered that we had to be elsewhere and said goodbye. Oh wow, is that Sir Jackie Stewart over there?!

Click for more carbon fiberrific images of the Koenigsegg Edtion CCXR.

We were all set to go shoot the Koenigsegg CCX and CCXR Edition cars in their exotic black and red kit, but what we found instead was this carbon fiber goddess. There's nothing quite like a raw carbon fiber finish to make the visceral reaction to driving a supercar more palpable. Still, we would have liked to have seen the black and red ones too. Either way, this Swedish Siren still scores highly on the must-have meter. Like the "normal" CCX and CCXR, the Edition models are powered by supercharged V8s, but their displacement has been bumped from 4.7-liters to a full 5.0, good enough for 888HP in the CCX and a non-Edition-matching 1,018HP in the E85-burning CCXR. Both cars are said to be good for a 0-60 sprint of just under three seconds, but the "R" can top out at least five MPH higher than the CCX, 250 versus 245. Price of entry for these two limited edition models is steep, with the Edition CCX starting at 1,330,000 euro and the Edition CCXR at 1,500,000 euro, but Koenigsegg only has to find 14 takers on the former and six for the latter. They hinted that almost all slots have been claimed, so if you are interested, act now.


[Source: Koenigsegg]

Click to view in high resolution

The Swedes seem to have a way of cutting through the hype. While its rivals call the special versions of their supercars things like "Hermes edition" and "Versace edition", Koenigsegg simply calls theirs the Edition. Too cold up there to tolerate fancy fashion labels tarting up their supercar.

It's been three months since we brought you the news of the Koenigsegg CCX and CCXR Edition, and the extra-special exotics will finally have their day in the spotlight as the Scandinavians make their way southwards to Geneva. As a quick refresher, the Edition models feature a twin-supercharged 4.8-liter V8, producing 888 hp in the CCX Edition and 1,018 hp in the ethanol-burning CCXR. Like Henry Ford said, you can have it in any color, as long as it's black: the Edition models come in bare carbon fiber, heavily lacquered to make it shine, with red accents for the ethanol version. Extra equipment, from the carbon-fiber wheels to the rearview camera, come as standard, while special interior touches round out the package, including color-matched leather carpets and special instruments and controls. Only 14 CCX Editions will be made, and just 6 of the CCXR Edition, the first two of each already spoken for at over $2 million apiece with the first delivery taking place right under our noses at the Geneva show.

[Source: Koenigsegg]