The Koenigsegg CCX is a
mid-engine
In automotive engineering, a mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of the rear-wheel axles, but behind the front axle.
History
The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive format can be considered the original layout of ...
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
manufactured by Swedish automotive manufacturer
Koenigsegg Automotive AB
Koenigsegg Automotive AB () is a Swedish manufacturer of high-performance sports cars based in Ängelholm, Skåne County, Sweden.
Company
The company was founded in 1994 in Sweden by Christian von Koenigsegg, with the intention of producing ...
. The project began with the aim of making a global car, designed and engineered to comply with global safety and environment regulations, particularly to enter the
United States car market. To sell cars in the US, many alterations were made to the design of the CCR; the previously used
Ford Modular engine
The Ford Modular engine is Ford Motor Company's overhead camshaft (OHC) V8 and V10 gasoline-powered small block engine family. Despite popular belief that the Modular engine family received its moniker from the sharing of engine parts across num ...
was replaced by an in-house developed Koenigsegg engine designed to run on 91
octane
Octane is a hydrocarbon and an alkane with the chemical formula , and the condensed structural formula . Octane has many structural isomers that differ by the amount and location of branching in the carbon chain. One of these isomers, 2,2,4-Tri ...
fuel, readily available in the United States, and to meet the
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
n emission standards.
The name ''CCX'' is an
abbreviation
An abbreviation (from Latin ''brevis'', meaning ''short'') is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method. It may consist of a group of letters or words taken from the full version of the word or phrase; for example, the word ''abbrevia ...
for ''Competition Coupé X,'' the X commemorating the 10th anniversary (X being the
Roman numeral
Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, eac ...
for ten) of the completion and test drive of the first
CC prototype in 1996.
Overview
The CCX was unveiled at the
2006 Geneva Motor Show, sporting body modifications to meet US vehicle regulations and a new in-house developed 4.7L twin
supercharged
In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement.
The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
V8 engine
A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...
capable of generating a maximum power output of at 7,000 rpm and of torque at 5,500 rpm while running on 91
octane
Octane is a hydrocarbon and an alkane with the chemical formula , and the condensed structural formula . Octane has many structural isomers that differ by the amount and location of branching in the carbon chain. One of these isomers, 2,2,4-Tri ...
gasoline.
Powertrain
![Koenigsegg CCX engine (Motorshow Geneva 2006)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Koenigsegg_CCX_engine_%28Motorshow_Geneva_2006%29.jpg)
The new engine is of all-aluminium construction made out of 356 aluminium with a
T7 heat treatment to further enhance block integrity and cylinder bore chill during casting. Specifically created and cast for Koenigsegg by Grainger & Worrall, a casting specialist with
F1 experience in drivetrain components, the engine was built, assembled and tested at their Ängelholm production plant.
The engine is lubricated with a
dry sump
A dry-sump system is a method to manage the lubricating motor oil in four-stroke and large two-stroke piston driven internal combustion engines. The dry-sump system uses two or more oil pumps and a separate oil reservoir, as opposed to a conve ...
system with a separate oil pump and the pistons are cooled by means of an internal cooler that sprays oil onto them in order to run high cylinder pressure with 91 octane fuel
making it capable of in combined cycle and in highway travel.
Available transmissions are a CIMA 6-speed manual and a 6-speed
sequential manual transmission
A sequential manual transmission, also known as a sequential gearbox, or a sequential transmission, is a type of non-synchronous manual transmission used mostly for motorcycles and racing cars. It produces faster shift times than traditional ...
. Power is fed to the wheels through a torque-sensitive
limited slip differential
A limited-slip differential (LSD) is a type of differential that allows its two output shafts to rotate at different speeds but limits the maximum difference between the two shafts. Limited-slip differentials are often known by the generic tr ...
.
Body
![Koenigsegg CCX, GIMS 2018, Le Grand-Saconnex (1X7A1713)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Koenigsegg_CCX%2C_GIMS_2018%2C_Le_Grand-Saconnex_%281X7A1713%29.jpg)
The chassis is made from
carbon fibre
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
reinforced with kevlar and aluminium honeycomb like the previous models. While the body keeps the
targa top
Targa top, or targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Porsch ...
body style and the dihedral synchro-helix actuation doors, it is completely reworked. There is a new front bumper design, enhanced brake cooling, fog lamps, US patented head lamps, a new fresh air intake on the bonnet that acts as ram air booster, air intakes behind the front wheels to enhance airflow and a glass window over the engine.
![CCX wheel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/CCX_wheel.jpg)
The CCX has frontal area of and a ., with a CdA of . It also has a flat underside with
venturi tunnels at the rear and an optional rear
spoiler
Spoiler is a security vulnerability on modern computer central processing units that use speculative execution. It exploits side-effects of speculative execution to improve the efficiency of Rowhammer and other related memory and cache attacks. Ac ...
to improve downforce.
At there is of
downforce
Downforce is a downwards lift force created by the aerodynamic features of a vehicle. If the vehicle is a car, the purpose of downforce is to allow the car to travel faster by increasing the vertical force on the tires, thus creating more grip. ...
over the front axle and over the rear.
The car is longer to comply with the US rear impact regulations and to free space around the rear muffler. On the interior, there is of extra headroom as well as specifically designed
Sparco
Sparco S.p.A. is an Italian auto part and accessory company headquartered in Volpiano near Turin that specializes in producing items such as seats, steering wheels, harnesses, racewear and helmets. Sparco branded alloy wheels are produced under li ...
carbon fibre seats.
Wheels and brakes
First in the industry carbon fibre wheels are optional equipment, lighter than the standard forged alloy ''telephone-dial'' wheels, both using centre locking nuts. Diameter is 19 inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear equipped with 255/35 Y19 front, 335/30 Y20 rear Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tyres, 8 piston caliper
carbon ceramic brakes measuring in diameter at the front and 6 piston caliper at the rear are optional, saving another of unsprung weight.
Variants
CCXR
![CCXR in London](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/CCXR_in_London.jpg)
The CCXR is a more "environmentally friendly" version of the CCX, powered by the same engine, but converted to use E85 and E100
ethanol fuel
Ethanol fuel is ethyl alcohol, the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, used as fuel. It is most often used as a motor fuel, mainly as a biofuel additive for gasoline. The first production car running entirely on ethanol was the ...
, as well as standard 98 octane petrol.
The CCXR required modified
fuel injector
Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines.
All comp ...
s, upgraded fuel lines and piston rings, and a higher boost setting on the superchargers. In standard form, bodywork of the CCXR features heavily optimized aerodynamics, along with optional diffusers to enhance airflow, including an optional front
splitter with an aerodynamic
nolder
In automotive design, a nolder is a small aerodynamic shape (a strip, wing, protrusion, lip or profile) integral to bodywork or to an aerodynamic attachment – e.g., a spoiler, diffuser or splitter – perpendicular to the d ...
.
When run on ethanol, the power increases to at 7000 rpm and of torque at 5600 rpm. This is a direct result of the cooling properties of
ethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl ...
in the engine's combustion chambers along with the added boost, made possible by ethanol's higher
octane rating
An octane rating, or octane number, is a standard measure of a fuel's ability to withstand compression in an internal combustion engine without detonating. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating ...
when compared to gasoline.
Due to the lower specific energy content of ethanol, the CCXR burns slightly more fuel than the CCX with a combined fuel consumption of under the EU cycle.
CCX Edition, CCXR Edition, CCXR Special Edition
![Koenigsegg CCXR Edition (1 von 2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Koenigsegg_CCXR_Edition_%281_von_2%29.jpg)
At the
2008 Geneva Motor Show, Koenigsegg presented two special edition models, the CCX Edition and the CCXR Edition, both fitted with a remapped, 4.8 L twin-supercharged
V8 engine and limited to 2 and 4 units respectively. The modifications to the engine increase the power of the CCX Edition to on normal gasoline and of torque while the CCXR Edition ratings remained unchanged over the CCXR.
The Edition models are more track oriented compared to the standard models, being equipped with stiffer springs and anti-roll bars, new dampers and a lowered chassis, a bare carbon body, unique 11 spoke aluminium wheels with a unique rear wing, and a larger front splitter and side winglets, all of which make the car capable of producing of downforce at . The interior is also reworked and features; colour matched leather carpets, Koenigsegg Edition side step plates and Edition chronograph instrument cluster. All other extra equipment for the Koenigsegg CCX and CCXR Edition comes as standard which include optional carbon fibre wheels, a rearview camera, Satnav or Bluetooth, amplifiers, and a complete Inconell exhaust system.
Later, Koenigsegg also built 2 CCXR Special Edition cars which when compared to the old CCXR Edition had equipped with the double F1 wing, a revised aero package with a unique and larger front splitter and side winglets, wheel vents on top of the body, as well as Koenigsegg's first F1 Paddleshift system.
CCXR Trevita
![Koenigsegg CCXR SE and CCXR Trevita (19842074056)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Koenigsegg_CCXR_SE_and_CCXR_Trevita_%2819842074056%29.jpg)
The CCXR ''Trevita'' is a limited edition of the Koenigsegg CCXR featuring a diamond weave carbon fibre finish. ''Trevita'' is an abbreviation in Swedish and translates into "three whites". The Koenigsegg Proprietary Diamond Weave, fully developed by Koenigsegg, is a new and unique method to manufacture the carbon fibre used for the CCXR Trevita. By utilising this new and unique method, Koenigsegg managed to coat the fibres with a diamond finish. The fibre treatment is conducted carefully in small quantities, prior to further processing the pre-production material.
Initially, three CCXR Trevitas were planned to be produced, however, because of the complexity to make the special diamond weave carbon-fibre, only 2 were ever made, making it one of the rarest vehicles manufactured by Koenigsegg. Both cars featured the Koenigsegg Shimmering Diamond Weave bodywork, twin-deck carbon fibre rear wing,
inconel
Inconel is a registered trademark of Special Metals Corporation for a family of austenitic nickel-chromium-based superalloys.
Inconel alloys are oxidation-corrosion-resistant materials well suited for service in extreme environments subjected t ...
exhaust system, carbon ceramic brakes with ABS, airbags, F1 paddle-shift gearbox, chrono instrument cluster, infotainment system, tire monitoring system and a hydraulic lifting system.
The Trevita is also one of the most expensive sports cars, costing
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
4.8 million. One was owned by boxer
Floyd Mayweather
Floyd may refer to:
As a name
* Floyd (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Floyd (surname), a list of people and fictional characters
Places in the United States
* Floyd, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Floyd, Iow ...
until it was sold in 2017 for 2.6 million dollars.
Specifications
Motorsport
![White Koenigsegg CCGT Goodwood 2007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/White_Koenigsegg_CCGT_Goodwood_2007.jpg)
In order to compete in the
FIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout ...
Koenigsegg created the CCGT race car, based on the production CC model range; making its debut appearance at the
2007 Geneva Motor Show and built to comply with the
ACO and
FIA
FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used.
Fia or FIA may also refer to: People
* Fia Backst ...
regulations for the GT1 class.
The CCGT's engine is based on the unit used in the Koenigsegg CCX with the superchargers removed and the capacity increased to 5.0 L to compensate for the loss of power.
The CCGT had over 600 kg downforce and over 600 hp normally aspirated, racing restricted hp. Due to the already lightweight construction of the road-going model it was based on, the weight was easily reduced under the minimum , which means that the
Ballast
Ballast is material that is used to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within a boat, ship, ...
can be placed optimally in order to meet the mandatory weight.
Two months after the car completed its first shakedown runs, the FIA GT1 regulations were suddenly changed, according to the altered regulations, carbon monocoques were disallowed and there had to be a minimum of 350 road cars produced per year of the model that was to compete, something that Koenigsegg was unable to achieve, prohibiting the CCGT from racing.
Production
The CCX was produced between 2006 and 2010 and the total production amounted to 49 cars (30 CCX, 9 CCXR, 6 CCX/CCXR Edition, 2 CCXR Special Edition and 2 CCXR Trevita). One of them was a CCX used for Crash tests and the other was a CCXR which is still a factory test car. Some CCX cars have later been upgraded to CCXR-specifications.
Awards and recognition
* 2009 Best Performing Green Exotic, ''
duPont Registry
The duPont Registry is an American brand name of print classified advertising publications specializing in luxury automobiles, real estate and yachts. As of 2003, their average reader had a net worth of 2.2 million. The flagship publication is ''d ...
''
* One of the 10 Most Beautiful Cars by ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' magazine
In 2007, the CCX was the fastest car to complete ''
Top Gear
Top Gear may refer to:
* "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission
Television
* ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme
* ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the or ...
''s
Power Lap with a time of 1:17.6 (until it was beaten by the
Ascari A10
The Ascari A10 is a prototype automobile produced by the British company Ascari Cars that was conceived by Dutch millionaire Klaas Zwart. It is a road-going evolution of the KZ1-R GT race car that participated in the Spanish GT Championship, wit ...
with a time of 1:17.3).
The car originally lapped the circuit in 1:20.4, but was then fitted with an optional rear
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
to provide
downforce
Downforce is a downwards lift force created by the aerodynamic features of a vehicle. If the vehicle is a car, the purpose of downforce is to allow the car to travel faster by increasing the vertical force on the tires, thus creating more grip. ...
after
The Stig
The Stig is a character from the British motoring television show ''Top Gear''. Created by former ''Top Gear'' presenter Jeremy Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman, the character is a play on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, wit ...
spun it off the track at 130 mph due to a power steering failure. The Stig purportedly recommended this modification, predicting that the car would then be the fastest ever round ''Top Gear''
's track
[ - Jeremy Clarkson: "After the accident, Stig said he reckons this car would be 4 seconds faster than it was if it had a big wing on the back."''] but Koenigsegg later stated that the improvement was due to adjustments to the chassis and suspension settings and not the addition of the rear spoiler. Despite this, the Stig's spoiler-idea remained the credited reason for the improved lap time.
The name of the car on the lap board is "Koeniggggsenisseggsegnignigsegigiseg CCX2 with the Top Gear wing", reportedly because none of the ''Top Gear'' presenters knew how to spell Koenigsegg, and also poking fun at the long and hard pronunciation of the manufacturer's name.
References
External links
Official Koenigsegg siteUnofficial Koenigsegg Registry
{{Koenigsegg road car timeline, 1990s-present
CCX
Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Sports cars
Flexible-fuel vehicles
Grand tourer racing cars
Cars introduced in 2006