|
Koenigsegg CC8S
Debut: 2002
Maker: Koenigsegg
Predecessor: no |
|
 The
company
Koenigsegg, a
small Swedish
supercar maker, was founded by Christian von Koenigsegg in 1994. He was
very young, just 22 years old then, but he succeeded to raise the
required
money to develop and polish the supercar in the following 8 years until
the first CC8S delivered to client in March 2002. That’s amazing. His
biggest
success was to get the Swedish public excited (it’s the country’s first
supercar) and many Swedish component suppliers involved the project.
Even
Volvo and Saab gave helping hands to Koenigsegg in the evaluation of
aerodynamics
and chassis rigidity, all free of charge. Now I know why the company
could
survive for so long without earning a penny: it is simply a state-owned
project !
Since the car
went into production,
6 cars were delivered. 25 others are on order book. Koenigsegg follows
the footprints of Pagani to be another new supercar maker succeeded to
survive, at least for the near future.
The car
In the UK,
CC8S
is priced
at £367,000, this make it more expensive than Porsche Carrera GT,
Pagani Zonda and Mercedes SLR, just shine of Ferrari Enzo. This seems
expensive
for a no-one-know supercar built in Sweden, but Koenigsegg claims very
tempting figures: 655 horsepower (that’s level with Enzo), 1275kg (90kg
lighter than Enzo), 0-60mph in 3.4 sec (0.15 sec faster) and a
McLaren-matching
240mph top speed. Christian von Koenigsegg also talked of possible
reaching
400kph (248.5mph). Can you believe that? obviously not before we
examine
its technical details.
 The
car was styled by Christian von Koenigsegg himself but its shape is
largely
dictated by aerodynamics. It is not as striking as Pagani or Enzo. At
some
angles it even looks bulky, like a big whale. But the whale delivers a
sense of power that you can’t find in its rivals either.
Because
of the
targeted top
speed, the body is designed to be so smooth that it has a very low drag
coefficient of 0.30. This is much lower than Enzo (0.36), SLR (0.37)
and
Carrera GT (0.39). Unsurprisingly, the downside is a rather low
downforce,
just 50kg at the front and 70kg at the back. For comparison, an Enzo
generates
775kg while Pagani achieves 500kg.
The
chassis is
constructed
like other supercars. Central to it is a carbon-fiber tub (Koenigsegg
called
it "semi-monocoque") attached with steel subframe up front and aluminum
subframe at the rear for mounting engine, gearbox and suspensions.
Chassis
rigidity is 28,100Nm per degree despite of the targa roof. The whole
bodyshell
is also carbon-fiber. Koenigsegg claims a dry weight of 1175kg, which
translates
to 1275kg when fluid and fuel are loaded, i.e., what we usually refer
to
"kerb weight". In other words, CC8S is about as light as Pagani and
Saleen
S7, while being around 100 kilograms lighter than Enzo and Carrera
GT.
 This
level of weight control is outstanding when you consider how well the
car
is built and equipped. In my recent Mercedes SLR report, I described it
"loaded with equipment cannot be dreamed in other supercars". That’s
not
exactly true, because the Koenigsegg also offers ABS, traction control,
air conditioning, climate control, CD changer, mobile phone, sat nav,
power
windows, power mirrors, central locking etc. The only thing it misses
is
an automatic transmission.
Open
the door is
usually
a sensational moment for supercars, but this one is even more
spectacular:
unseen before, these doors operate with 2 axis, simultaneously pivot
upward
and outward. This might be meaningless to practicality, but it proves
that
the car is elegantly engineered. Step across the wide sills and drop
into
the carbon-fiber buckets. The environment is quite strange, because the
digital reading is housed in a strange instrument binnacle, the buttons
on center console are arranged like a telephone dial and the gear lever
is a foot long. While the taste of Koenigsegg is questionable, the
build
quality is not. This is a well finished interior. Most surfaces are
clad
with leather and the floor is bare carbon fiber. Space is quite limited
for people over 6 feet, but the seats and steering wheel are
multi-adjustable,
so finding a suitable driving position is easy.
Engine and
Performance
Start the
engine,
it roars
like an American V8. Yes, it is an American V8 ! very disappointing,
like
many cheaper British sports cars and American tuner’s cars, this
Swedish
supercar is powered by a supercharged version of Ford Mustang’s dohc
32-valve
V8. 60% of it has been modified, from the titanium header that lifts
capacity
to 4.7 litres, the lowered 8.6:1 compression, the intercooled Vortec
supercharger
which boosts 1.0 bar, the forged pistons and con-rods, the dry-sump
aluminum
crankcase that allows the engine to be installed lower in the chassis,
the weight-saving carbon-fiber intakes.... however, you still feel a
modified
Ford V8 is never an ideal engine to a supercar. It might work in Ford
GT,
but not a car costing 4 times the money. For sound, for willingness and
response, there is no replacement to a high-tech V12 or V10.
Unfortunately,
Koenigsegg could neither source a better engine nor develop a one
itself.
On paper, this
engine delivers
655 horsepower at a high 6800rpm and it redlines at a mighty 7500rpm.
The
peak torque of 553 lbft arrives at 5000rpm. So, it should have the best
combination of power and torque on the market. Unfortunately, that is
only
on paper. In reality, the high-boost 4.7 V8, with its unusually high
specific
power, lacks torque at low to medium rev to fight against its rivals.
Its
torque curve is more like an old-fashion turbocharged engine’s than a
supercharged
engine’s, putting emphasis on the top end of its spectrum. At 3000rpm,
only half the maximum torque is available. In contrast, Mercedes SLR’s
supercharged V8 emits its peak 575 lbft at that rev. No wonder Autocar
magazine criticized it lack flexibility. It found the CC8S took a
laughable
10.2 seconds to accelerate from 50-70mph at top gear while Pagani Zonda
C12S needed only 4.4 sec.
 Much
of the blame must go to the Vortec supercharger. It is a
centrifugal-type
supercharger, unlike the screw-type supercharger used by other
supercars
such as Mercedes SLR, SL55AMG and Ford GT. Centrifugal-type
superchargers
are very much like turbochargers except that their turbines are driven
by crank instead of exhaust gas. Their advantage is high power gain,
which
the Koenigsegg needs to get most from its 4.7-litre capacity. The
disadvantage
is weak boost when the turbine is not spinning quick enough, just like
turbochargers. They also cause some throttle delay, similar to turbo
lag,
as Evo experienced in the Koenigsegg.
However,
peaky
power delivery
is not all the problem. Autocar also suspected the engine is not as
powerful
as claimed. Theoretically, it should match or at least come close to
McLaren
F1 in acceleration, but the data recorded said otherwise: 0-60mph took
4.4 sec, 0-100mph in 8.4 sec, 0-150mph in 17.6 sec and 0-200mph in 35.4
sec. For comparison, McLaren did that in 3.2 sec, 6.3 sec, 12.8 sec and
28.0 sec respectively. This miss the mark by a large margin and falls
behind
other less powerful rivals.
What about top
speed? Judging
from the time Autocar needed to get to 200mph, it is unquestionable the
car can pass the 210mph mark or maybe even 220mph. But so far
Koenigsegg
has yet to prove its McLaren-beating speed. It claimed once saw 233mph
when testing on a wet Nardo track and the car was still accelerating.
However,
you know, claim is claim. Before CC8S set a record in front of witness,
I won’t believe it could topple McLaren F1.
Handling
and
Ride
The chassis of
Koenigsegg
is obviously much more promising than its engine. Weight distribution
between
front and rear axle is 45:55, this help it to balance remarkably well.
It is also fine-tuned by supercar tuning expert Loris Bicocchi, the man
responsible for the handling and ride of Bugatti EB110, Edonis and
Zonda.
 On
the road, the CC8S handles very good. Initially it feels too big and
wide
while understeer a little in tight corners. Give it an open road, it
immediately
comes alive. Up the pace and the understeer is replaced by neutrality.
Massive grip from the wide tires and powerful AP brakes (with superb
pedal
feel too) give you full confidence, as is the steering wheel which
transmits
stream of information from the front wheels to your arms. The Italian
Cima
gearbox also shifts satisfyingly, with short throw, slick and precise
action.
Bicochhi has the chassis and its human interface sorted so well !
In fact, this
chassis is
better sorted than Ferrari Enzo’s. Both cars have traction control to
prevent
from sliding rear wheels, but the Ferrari’s system works busier. In the
Koenigsegg, you have to steer aggressively to swing its rear end out.
That’s
partly due to its weaker torque, partly thanks to its better
balance.
It
also rides
pretty good
- not as supple as Zonda, but more forgiving than Enzo. Besides, the
aluminum
double-wishbones suspensions use electronic adjustable shock absorber
to
allow ride height adjustment. On bumpy roads, the driver can increase
ride
height to prevent bottom out.
Verdict
Like other
supercars tuned
by Loris Bicocchi, Koenigsegg CC8S will be remembered for the way it
handles
and communicates with its driver. Unfortunately, it got a poor engine
and
therefore does not deliver the performance it promised and the
eagerness
its customers expected. Give it an AMG V12 and a more adventurous
styling,
it could jump to the top of the supercar chart.... but then it will
need
to be renamed to "Pagani". |
| The
above report was last updated on 4 Jan 2004. All
Rights Reserved. |
CCR
|
 Feb
28, 2005 was an unbelievable day: Koenigsegg CCR broke the 7-year-old
top speed record held by McLaren F1. The swedish supercar lapped Fiat's
Nardo test track at 241.0 mph (387.9 kph), edging out the McLaren's
240.1 mph which was set in 1998.
If you look at the spec, you won't be surprised. The CCR is even more
powerful than the previous CC8S. Its supercharged 4.7-litre V8 is
boosted to 806 horsepower from 655 hp, and maximum torque surged from
553 lbft to 678 lbft. That made it the most powerful car in the world
until the arrival of Bugatti Veyron. Compare with McLaren F1, it
possesses 120 more horsepower and a slightly lower drag coefficient.
Breaking record is just a matter of time.
How can it achieve so much more power from the same engine capacity?
The answer is a twin-supercharger system. Instead of a single Vortec
supercharger, the CCR employs two smaller Rotrex superchargers. They
are not only more responsive – an aspect the CC8S is so weak – but also
raise maximum boost pressure from 1.0 bar to 1.4 bar. No wonder the CCR
can achieve an astonishing specific output of 171 horsepower per litre.
Again,
the superchargers are centrifugal type. They are extremely efficient at
high rev but relatively weak at low rev. They does not produce maximum
boost until 5000 rpm, thus the V8 produces max torque at a rather high
5700 rpm. Slow throttle response, or turbo lag, is another problem.
Koenigsegg partially solved this by introducing an innovative boost
control unit, whose vacuum-driven extra throttle feeds pressurized air
to the engine even before the turbine get working. It also creates a
low pressure zone before the turbine, helping it to accelerate more
quickly.
 Outside, the CCR is
distinguished from CC8S by reshaped headlamps and a large air splitter
at the nose. The latter helps
improving downforce and stabilizing the air under and around the car.
The brakes also got upgrade. Now it employs 362mm diameter discs and
6-piston calipers all round. Elsewhere the CCR remains the same as
CC8S. The total weight gain is just 5 kg.
Despite breaking the top speed record, company boss Christian von
Koenigsegg believes the CCR has potential to surpass 245.4 mph (395
kph) if it were tested on a straight test track instead of the
circular, banked Nardo. In fact, McLaren's 240.1 mph record was set on
Volkswagen's straight test track Ehra-Leissen. Previously, it did
“only” 231 mph at Nardo.
However, 2 months after the Koenigsegg test, Bugatti Veyron broke the
record again at 248.5 mph (400 kph). |
| The
above report was last updated on 20 May
2005. All Rights Reserved. |
CCX, CCXR and Edition
|
|
We could hardly imagine a supercar
which was first debuted in motor show 8 years ago and started
production 5 years ago could go stronger and stronger today...
|
Call
it a Scandinavian miracle won't be far from the truth. Koenigsegg has
surprised many, including myself, times to times. 5 years ago when I
saw the flawed CC8S, I thought this Swedish supercar maker might just
close down in a couple of years time due to lack of interest. Yes,
Christian von Koenigsegg sold only 6 units of CC8S in the first 2 or 3
years, but he kept investing into the company, hiring talents to
improve his cars and establishing partnerships with exotic component
suppliers all over the world. When his next car, CCR, broke the
long-standing speed record of McLaren F1 in 2005, orders started
flowing in. In another 2 years time, Koenigsegg built 20 CCR model to
satisfy the world's richest car enthusiasts.
More amazing is how well it resists the test of time. Supercars are
usually big toys to millionaires. They get popular in one instant and
turn outdated in the next instant. We could hardly imagine a supercar
which was first debuted in motor show 8 years ago and started
production 5 years ago could go stronger and stronger today. Koenigsegg
is just that magical. Thanks to relentless development, every iteration
of the Koenigsegg gets faster, better built and more desirable. If
there are any keys to its success, they must be the will and long-term
vision of Christian von Koenigsegg.
|
6 CCXR Edition will be built in 2008,
each possessing horsepower to beat Bugatti Veyron...
|
CCX
After CCR, Koenigsegg wanted to expand into the huge USA market.
Therefore in 2007 the CCR was superseded by the world-legal CCX. To
satisfy Federal impact regulations, its front and rear bumpers were
modified and lengthened. To satisfy American customers who ask for more
headroom, the bubble roof panel was raised by 50 mm. This resulted in a
slightly larger frontal area, while drag coefficient was also increased
from 0.30 to 0.32. The 4.7-liter V8 engine got a new block (no longer
based on Ford V8) which is lighter yet stronger. Power rating remains
unchanged from CCR, i.e. 806 horsepower and 678 lb-ft of torque, but it
can drink 91 Octane fuel now which is common in the US.
According to factory figures, Koenigsegg silently changed the 1280 kg
kerb weight to dry weight, which actually represents an increase of 100
kg. Interestingly, despite of a higher drag and more weight, it still
claims 245 mph top speed and 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds. Considering the
CCR's 241 mph record was done at the banked Nardo, it is still possible
for CCX to do 245 mph on an arrow-straight test track. Nevertheless,
the 0-60 mph time claimed by Koenigsegg has always been nearly
impossible to achieve because it has problems to lay down that huge
power on the road, especially without a sophisticated launch control
like Ferrari's F1 Trac. That was why Sport Auto magazine managed only a
disappointing 3.7 seconds. At higher speed, the Koenigsegg started
catching up. By 186 mph (300 km/h) it is already noticeably faster than
Ferrari Enzo and trails only Bugatti Veyron (see table below).
|
0-100 km/h
|
0-200 km/h
|
0-300 km/h
|
Test source
|
Bugatti Veyron (2005)
|
2.5 sec
|
7.3 sec
|
16.8 sec
|
Bugatti
|
Koenigsegg CCX (2007)
|
3.8 sec
|
9.3 sec
|
21.9 sec
|
Sport Auto
|
McLaren F1 (1993)
|
3.2 sec
|
approx. 9.6 sec
|
approx. 22.4 sec
|
Autocar
|
| Pagani Zonda Cinque (2008) |
3.4 sec
|
9.6 sec
|
-
|
Pagani
|
| Ferrari Enzo (2002) |
3.6 sec
|
10.3 sec
|
26.1 sec
|
AMS
|
Mercedes SLR 722 (2007)
|
3.8 sec
|
10.5 sec
|
29.6 sec
|
Sport Auto
|
CCXR
The CCX is still slower than Bugatti Veyron, therefore Koenigsegg also
offered a bio-fuel version called CCXR to beat the Bugatti. Drinking
E85 fuel - i.e. a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol - allows higher
compression
ratio (8.8:1 instead of 8.2:1) and higher supercharger boost pressure
(1.6 bar instead of 1.4 bar), thus results in a Bugatti-beating 1018
horsepower ! Remember, this car is a massive 600 kg lighter than the
Bugatti, so despite of its traction problem and less low-down torque,
it might just match the Bugatti at higher speed.
|
Excellent handling aside, ride is also
surprisingly supple...
|
CCX
Edition and CCXR Edition
In 2008, Koenigsegg uprated the cars again. Some 20 Edition models - 14
CCX Edition and 6 CCXR Edition - will be built during the year. They
are more track-oriented than the previous cars, with a larger front air
splitter, a spectacular "X-wing" rear spoiler (which generates 350 kg
downforce at 155 mph), stiffer and lower suspensions. The engines are
bored out to 4.8 liters, accompany with higher compression (8.6:1 and
9.2:1) and remapped ECU to produce higher output - the CCX Edition
pumps out 82 more horsepower while the bio-fuel CCXR Edition gains
slightly more torque. The big rear spoiler increases their drag
coefficient to 0.36, so the optimistic top speed claims - 250 mph for
CCX Edition and 254 mph for CCXR Edition - are based on cars with rear
spoiler removed.
As before, the Koenigsegg supercars are strong at handling. No matter
body control, grip, steering feel and accuracy it is always first
class. Its ride is also surprisingly supple, thanks to an immensely
rigid chassis (some 57,000 Nm per degree !) and lightweight suspensions
and wheels. What an engineering masterpiece it is. The fit and finish
of its carbon-fiber bodywork is also faultless, especially in the
Edition cars that unpainted pure carbon fiber is deliberately made
visible under a layer of lacquer. I still have some problems to accept
its cabin design - in particular that big round instrument pod and
dial-like center console - and the non-linear power delivery of its
twin-centrifugal supercharger V8. It will never provide the effortless
performance of Bugatti Veyron. However, neither will the Bugatti match
its raw fun.
No wonder Koenigsegg dares to ask for even higher prices than the
Bugatti. The CCX and CCXR Edition are priced at 1.33 million and 1.5
million Euro respectively excluding tax. All of them have been
allocated. What will Koenigsegg do next ? I can't wait. |
| The
above report was last updated on 1 Jul 2008. All
Rights Reserved. |
|
|