Koenigsegg built a Le Mans GT1 car in 2007. Then the rules changed, and it never raced. Nearly two decades later, the company has turned that unfinished business into a road car: the CCGT1, revealed on August 13th, a 70-unit tribute that is already sold out.
What it is
The CCGT1 is powered by a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 making roughly 1,280 horsepower on pump gas and up to 1,600 horsepower on E85, and it runs on any blend of the two. Power goes to the rear wheels only. Koenigsegg quotes up to 800 kg (1,764 lb) of downforce at 155 mph, and the active rear wing adjusts through 30 degrees and doubles as an air brake.
The bodywork is what Koenigsegg calls “Ghost Fibre,” a crystal-white aramid and carbon weave, and the roof panel can be fitted or removed.
The gearbox is the story
The CCGT1 is built on Koenigsegg’s Light Speed Transmission, which has no flywheel and uses seven wet multi-disc clutches. Buyers choose between two ways to drive it. The first is a nine-speed sequential, a race-style shifter with a clutch pedal used only for take-off and ignition-cut shifts that need no lift of the throttle. The second is the six-speed manual from the CC850. Either one can also act as an automatic. The tall shifter sits just inches from the steering wheel, which tells you who this car is for.
Built to be tracked
An optional dealer-fitted Track Package adds a carbon roll cage, HANS-compatible seats, fire suppression, air jacks, revised suspension and brakes, more aggressive aero, and a second set of wheels with race tires. It is fitted by dealers rather than at the factory, so it is an option on a road car, not a separate track edition.
The backstory
The 2007 original, built by Christian von Koenigsegg for Le Mans, was finished just as the GT1 rules changed. That car has since been refurbished and is headed for historic GT1 racing, which makes the CCGT1 its road-going descendant rather than a retro styling exercise.
What we don’t know yet
Koenigsegg has not published a price, a weight, or a delivery schedule. With all 70 cars already allocated, the price matters mostly to people who already own one. Power figures also vary slightly between outlets (some quote about 1,263 and 1,578 horsepower), so treat the numbers above as approximate until the factory spec sheet is out.
Specifications based on Koenigsegg’s launch announcement as reported by The Drive, Top Gear and autoevolution. We have not driven this car.