Europe is a nice small continent, but there is much more to be seen out there, which is the reason why the Koenigsegg CCX was introduced in 2006. Contrarily to what many think, this is a new car and not just a revised CCR. Unlike the preceding models, the shape of the car was the result of 3D CAD programs and all the tooling necessary for its production were created according to the results gathered from those programs. Just to further underline how the two cars are different, not a single body panel can be exchanged between the two.
Make the jump to enjoy some exclusive live images and read the rest of the story about Koenigsegg's supercars.
At the same time the CCX is homologated also for the North American market, which required new passive safety solutions, and also features a new engine. You could still say that’s the old Ford V8, tuned and polished, but you’d be mistaken, as this new unit it’s not only much more powerful but also gifted with many new solutions, and is now assembled at Koenigsegg’s headquarters. A new lighter block is produced in England, and other Koenigsegg-designed components are added. The only way you could still connect this engine to Ford is that probably you could fit one in a Mustang, if that makes any sense to you anyway.
The chassis was also enlarged, allowing for a roomier interior, and a new high-tech electric system was adopted. Last but not least, it was the first supercar to ever pass the new European pedestrian impact testing. Just in case you are staring at the car in the middle of the road…
One of the main variations of the CCX is the CCXR model, capable of running also on biofuel. Some of you may be happy to hear such an extreme supercar having an eco-friendly approach. I prefer to consider that gave the car an additional 200 bhp though. The specific specimen pictured here at Geneva 2010 autoshow was purposefully made for the supercar dealer Platinuss from Brazil, and it’s capable of running on pure biofuel.
And then time came for the Agera. First unveiled in Geneva 2010, we already covered its debut last year and now you can enjoy a few more exclusive live pictures we took in Geneva during the autoshow. Keep in mind this was a pre-production prototype. It’s slicker and more aggressive than any other CCX special edition to date, yet very familiar. Regardless of the apparent similarities, this car shares only 20% of its component with the CCX. Being longer and wider, with a new front track and a new bodywork, this according to Mr K is a larger leap than between the CC8S and the CCR. The Agera has a new gearbox, the engine is still made by Koenigsegg but it’s a new unit, the suspensions were modified and tweaked, new and more powerful brakes were adopted, also updating the ABS and the tires. New interior fittings were adopted and a new air conditioning system was installed. Of course the new bodywork gave the car also new aerodynamic features.
Mr Koenigsegg recognizes that a much more dramatic change in the bodywork would have helped people identifying the new cars as, you know, a “new” car. At the same time his approach is more similar to the one adopted by another car company, much more famous and much larger:
“However, my design philosophy is that of the Porsche 911. Even if the 997 is technically very different from a 993, to the untrained eye the look very similar when passing by on the road. Still the 997 is a very capable and modern car. The philosophy is to only change what needs to be upgraded in order to maximize function, handling, performance and compliance, nothing else. Especially important to avoid trends as the cars should be as timeless as possible.”
I hope this is enough to teach all of you on how another supercar came to see the light of the day: one man’s commitment and ideas, but most of all, passion.
Mr Koenigsegg, thank you for your supercar company.
Now, if we could find an arrangement for that white Agera I was talking about…
All Pictures Copyright: Damiano Garro and Sarajane Bradshaw for The Italian Junkyard
Koenigsegg CCX pictures: Koenigsegg Automotive AB.
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