Christian Von Koenigsegg is the man behind the legendary brand that bears his name: Koenigsegg. At just 22 years old, he started the company and, unsurprisingly, was laughed at by the establishment. But much like in the movie Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (which actually planted the seed for what would become a thorn in the side of Porsche, Pagani, Lamborghini, and even Bugatti), Christian managed to achieve the impossible. In 2005, just three years after the first customer car was delivered to a Swiss buyer, Koenigsegg broke the top speed record for production cars—a record long held at McLaren’s headquarters in Woking, outside London. The rest is history. This year, Christian turns 50, and the milestone is being celebrated in grand style with the release of a new hypercar: the Koenigsegg CC850. Its design is distinctly retro, inspired by early models like the CCR, but especially the CC8S—Koenigsegg’s first series-production car from 2002.
The car, unveiled a few days ago in the U.S. at the renowned The Quail during Car Week, is based on the Jesko. However, it features an entirely new design and a slightly detuned twin-turbo V8. Despite this, the car’s weight matches its power output exactly—provided you fill the tank with E85 fuel. If you opt for regular (and expensive) 98-octane gas, you’ll have just under 1,200 horsepower at your disposal. But in a car that weighs less than a Porsche Cayman GT4, that hardly seems to matter. This car will be brutally fast no matter what fuel you choose.
What makes the Koenigsegg Competition Coupé 850 (its full technical name) particularly interesting is the transmission. Koenigsegg never launches a new car without adding or subtracting something to enhance the driving experience, and this time is no exception. As mentioned earlier, the car is based on the Jesko, which means it shares the Jesko’s transmission. Known as LST (Light Speed Transmission), it’s a unique innovation that provides nine gears in a compact and lightweight package. In the CC850, Koenigsegg has added a classic manual function. Thanks to having so many gears available, you can switch between track and street mode in manual mode, adjusting the gear ratios based on your needs. And if you tire of driving with three pedals, you can simply slide the wood-trimmed gear lever to the right and switch to Drive, like in a regular automatic. Smart, isn’t it?
The CC850 was originally planned for a production run of 50 units to mark Christian’s 50th birthday. However, due to overwhelming demand, the company decided to build an additional 20 cars, bringing the total to 70. Whether the name will change to Koenigsegg CC870 or remain CC850 is a question for the future. Time will tell.
The price, while almost irrelevant given its exclusivity, is rumored to be around $4,000,000, including taxes. As always with Koenigsegg, the price is as extraordinary as the car itself. Fun fact: the first car in the series of 70 is Christian’s own gift to himself. Let’s give him a big congratulations!