The 2008 Koenigsegg CCXR Edition
I never thought I’d say this, but sooner or later a faster and lighter supercar will bring down the mighty Veyron. Perhaps this is the car that will do just that – The 2008 Koenigsegg CCXR Edition. At a price tag of over a million pounds, this supercar promises to be the fastest production supercar since the Veyron. Only six CCXR E’s have been built, hence its heavy pricetag.
But there’s something else spooky about it other than its incredible speed – it runs on biofuel. How did Koenigsegg create such a mystical beast? First of all, its body is made entirely of ultra lightweight carbon fibre, which makes for great power to weight ratio, as compared to the Veyron 1,888 kg body.
Second, here’s an appalling comparison – the Veyron has an 8.0-liter 16-cylinder engine while the CCXR E only has a 4.8-liter twin turbo V8 engine. Considering the same power outputs and different engine sizes, the CCXR E definitely brings home the cake. It blows out 1,018 hp at 7,200 revs and 782 lb-ft of torque at 6,100 revs to catapult it from 0 to 60 mp/h in as little as 2.9 seconds. Although a little slower than the Veyron’s 2.5 second 0 to 60 mp/h sprint, the CCXR E’s top speed is rated at 254 plus mp/h, which is definitely faster than the Veyron’s, considering that it runs on biofuel.
Swedish owner Christian von Koenigsegg shared his ideas on the CCXR E’s engine. It is a result of their experience in using biofuel in their country. Biofuel is roughly a mix of bioethanol (85%) and petrol (15%). It has a higher octane rating than most fuels and is more environmentally friendly. High octane biofuel has a magical effect on engines – ethanol has a cooling effect which in turn reduces engine heat build up and increases engine performance. That’s the secret stable of its 1,018 Swedish horses. Their CCXR E’s engine technology is somewhat a courtesy call for other supercar producers to look into the benefits of using biofuel.
Here’s something else for Ferrari to ponder about – 500 kg of downforce at speeds over 157 mp/h. That’s a lot of downforce. Koenigsegg learned the hard way the importance of downforce on a supercar. Back in 2006, a road test of an $850,000 Koenigsegg CCX ended in a disappointing crash when poor aerodynamics failed to produce enough downforce to keep the car in its line. It was reported that the driver behind the CCX’s wheel was BBC Top Gear’s mysterious racing driver, ‘The Stig’, whose identity is kept secret. I guess ‘The Stig’ is portrayed to be a super driver of some sort. Anyway, Koenigsegg took The Stig’s advice and incorporated a rear wing to the CCXR E for additional downforce. When cornering, the CCXR E will put its driver through 1.5G of lateral force, somewhat similar to the lateral forces professional drifters are used to.
The CCXR E is another Euro car that has some of the makings of a Formula One car – an ultra-lightweight aluminum honeycomb underchassis, hollowed driveshafts, bearings that follow Le Mans series specifications, and ceramic brakes comparable to the Veyron’s and Porsche’s. However, its five-mode traction control system is a little sour for my tastebuds.
On the looks side, the CCXR E is quite an eye candy – sleek, rugged carbon fiber body that is brutally beautiful without paint, and a glass roof that can be stowed under the hood for a windy drive around town.
What can I say? I think I could get used to these lavish super Euros. Unlike muscle laden American cars and grassroots drifting Japanese FR’s, these European supercars have enough of James Bond flair to pamper those raised on silver spoons and BMW’s.
I’m still kind of hoping that the Veyron will beat the CCXR E. Until the day of track reckoning, it’s still the Veyron and McLaren F1 LM that top my super Euro wishlist.
Sources:
http://www.koenigsegg.com/cars_3_2.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/in_the_showroom/article5054249.ece
