Autoblog

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]

Ultima, one of several dozen independent British sportscar companies and makers of the GTR, could only take so much rejection. The cottage automaker claims it offered its road-legal race-car to the producers at BBC's hit TV show Top Gear several times, only to be repeatedly refused. So Ultima took things into its own hands, brought its latest fire-breather to the same converted airstrip that TG uses for a test track, retained a Stig of its own, and undertook to beat the fastest lap on the track.

Aside from the occasional exception like the Renault F1 car, the current record holder on Top Gear's power-lap board is the Koenigsegg CCX (which Top Gear can't spell). After the Stig famously spun the Swedish supercar off the track, the designers mounted a new rear wing to keep the tail planted, and the CCX set a fastest lap of 1:17.6, which was enough to beat the Ferrari Enzo, Maserati MC12 and Pagani Zonda that previously sat atop the chart.

Ultima drove the GTR720 to the track in full road trim and set a fast lap of 1:12.8, which easily beat the Koenigsegg. In fact, Ultima claims that at that rate, the GTR would lap an Enzo every 12 laps. Dang. Shame it would also beat the Ferrari in an ugly contest, though. Ultima says another visit in the more powerful 800-hp version is in the works.

[Source: PistonHeads]

Click to jump to our high-resolution Koenigsegg image gallery from Geneva

Those Super-Swedes over at Koenigsegg serve up a potent reminder that not all supercars come from Italy. In fact, some of the fastest don't, as evidenced by the Koenigsegg CCX, whose level of performance ranks among the top of the supercar realm.

At the Geneva show, Koenigsegg was in full force, displaying three glorious examples: an "ordinary" orange CCX (as if it could be considered "ordinary" by any conceivable standard), plus a black ethanol-converted CCXR and a white FIA GT1-spec CCGT.

As we previously reported, the Koenigsegg CCX is so potent that it had to be de-tuned and "censored" to meet race regulations to make the CCGT. Power was reduced from 806 to 600 horsepower, and aerodynamic elements had to be replaced to meet specifications. The CCXR, meanwhile, produces more power running on ethanol than on gasoline, making a mind-blowing 1018 horsepower and 780 lb-ft of torque.

Want to see more? Check out our high-resolution image gallery from the floor of the Geneva salon.

Included in the cost of every Koenigsegg CCX is the tuition for a high performance driving school. One owner decided to opt out of the school and subsequently wrecked his brand new CCX within 18 hours of taking delivery. The nephew of one of the owners of H&M (a store that sells high end clothing at economical rates) attempted to pass another vehicle, moved into the oncoming lane, lost control and spun, colliding with a garbage truck.

All told, no major injuries were sustained, but egos have been bruised indefinitely.

Thanks for the tip, Matt and Rocket Push!

[Sources: Sportbilen.se and Aftonbladet]

Tucked away in a corner of the OC Auto Show Underground, where tuners come out to play, we found an SSC Aero. Sitting amidst a Novitec Ferrari F430, a Superformance LeMans Coupe, a Mosler that still had Bullrun stickers on it, the SSC nonetheless managed to stand out. The car is still a bit of an enigma, but promises to be one of the world's fastest cars once it gets into the hands of testers. We volunteered to probe the claimed top speed of 260 mph, but were politely denied. Click the read link to find out more about the car from our friends at Fast-Autos.net who saw three of the SSCs up in Monterey last year.

This is another one of those worlds'-fastest-car contenders that has yet to prove its claims, but on paper it should be up to the challenge. With a Corvette-based 6.2 liter, turbocharged V-8 producing over 1,000 hp, 250 sounds like a breeze. The curb weight is about the same as the Koenigsegg CCX at 2,640 pounds, so the extra 200 hp should make it a bit quicker too. Hopefully SSC will invite us out to track test it like the Swedes did.

(more photos after the jump)

[Source: Fast-Autos.net]

What's it like driving a supercar with over 800 horsepower that can accelerate to sixty in slightly over three seconds? I don't know, you'll have to ask Autoblogger Frank Filipponio who did just that at the official U.S. unveiling of the Koenigsegg CCX. Only one car was on hand to attack the track with and it was the exact same CCX that the Stig flogged on Top Gear to a record lap time, complete with the rear wing that was added for extra stability by Koenigsegg. Special thanks goes out to Drew Phillips from Fast-Autos.net who served as our impromptu driver for the video shoot and our brethren over at Netscape for producing the video.

Related posts:

• First drive in Koenigsegg CCX
• Track day number 1 with Koenigsegg CCX
• Koenigsegg CCX has OFFICIAL US debut in Las Vegas

So we finally had our crack at the CCX. And we can tell you that those letters could easily be pronounced "Cooks." After watching others get in all sweaty-palmed and exit smiling yesterday, we were able to try it out ourselves. The "it," for anybody not paying attention, is the Koenigsegg CCX. The newest iteration of the SuperSwede that is now available at a dealer near you. So long as you happen to be in Las Vegas and you stop in the Exotic Cars at Caesars Palace showroom. And so long as you have 700 grand to spend. Follow the jump for more clickables and prose.

"That's one hot Swede." Not sure who said it, but if this phrase conjures up images of the Swedish bikini team, you might be disappointed to learn he was referring to the CCX. Then again, you somehow found your way to Autoblog, so maybe not.

The desert mirage-like air distortion coming off the engine as it pulled into the pits seemed to indicate the car might be struggling with the triple-digit Las Vegas heat. Far from it though. This particular vehicle has seen much harsher treatment. Make the jump for the rest of the story and some desktop-sized clickable pics.

Visited Exotic Cars at Caesars Palace Sunday night where (unlike our Thursday encounter at Doria's Haus of Pizza) they officially unveiled the Koenigsegg CCX at a VIP party that introduced the car to (other) journalists and potential customers alike. Although we just saw the car a few days ago, it had been buffed out and looked pretty nice under the lights in the Exotic Cars showroom. Some more of the yellow paint from the Redline shoot had been removed and we could see even more of those carbon fiber muscles. They even played the Top Gear clip where the car almost killed The Stig set the fastest lap time.

Magnus Jaasund of Koenigsegg drove the car out, flanked by some of Caesar's finest. In the crowd were such diverse famous sons of famous dads as Don Cornelius's son Tony and racer Derek Bell's son Justin, who will be giving demo laps Monday and Tuesday. He likened the opportunity to drive the CCX to when he was offered a ride in the McLaren F1 at LeMans. So did we mention we will be going for a ride on Tuesday? They apparently thought we looked trustworthy enough that they agreed to take us for a spin before LETTING US TAKE THE WHEEL OURSELVES. Sorry, were we shouting? Hard not to get excited about Tuesday, but for now, follow the jump for a wallpaper gallery courtesy of Drew Phillips of Fast-Autos.net, and the press release from ECACP.

And don't forget to come back Tuesday or Wednesday when we'll bring you driving impressions and track footage, including pics and hopefully decent video of the Autoblog team driving the fastest car ever to have lapped the Top Gear track.

Went out for a slice with some friends today and we were pleasantly surprised to see a CCX pull up to join us. OK, we nearly tripped over each other rushing to get a closer look. We presume its on its way to a launch party at Exotic Cars at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas this weekend, the first and only dealer in the United States to sell these exclusive super cars. Autoblog recently managed to snag an invite to this super exclusive VIP launch as well. We'll post Monday morning with all the highlights.