CarBrandLogos archive · Koenigsegg · 2006

KoenigseggCCX

Reworked to satisfy American regulations, then reworked again after one television lap.

Photo: Alexandre Prévot from Nancy, France · CC BY-SA 2.0

The story

A defining chapter in Koenigsegg history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Koenigsegg CCX, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

By 2006 Koenigsegg wanted to sell cars in the United States, and that required more than a certificate. The CCX was reshaped around American crash, lighting and emissions requirements: the body was lengthened, the structure revised, and the Ford-derived engine of the earlier cars was replaced by a 4.7-litre twin-supercharged V8 of Koenigsegg's own design that could run on the fuel available there. It kept the carbon monocoque, the dihedral doors and the stowable targa roof.

CCX wheel · Eliot from Flickr (profile) · CC BY-SA 2.0

Design and engineering

Its most public moment came on Top Gear. The first CCX taken to the programme's test track proved unstable under power at the rear and spun off, and the presenters suggested it needed a rear wing. Koenigsegg returned with one fitted, and the car went on to set the fastest lap the show had recorded to that point. The episode did more for the company's profile in Britain than any amount of motor show presence, and the wing became a factory option.

Koenigsegg CCXR Edition · Fpm · CC BY-SA 3.0

In production

Twenty-nine CCXs were built between 2006 and 2010, including CCXR variants configured to run on E85 biofuel, which produced more power on the cooler-burning fuel than on petrol. It was the last of the CC family. The Agera that replaced it in 2010 was an all-new car with a turbocharged engine and a dual-clutch gearbox.

CCXR in London · Ed Callow · CC BY 2.0

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

2006–2010

Engine

4.7 L Koenigsegg twin supercharged V8

Designer

Christian von Koenigsegg

Body

2-door targa top

Technical specification

The CCX, in detail.

Production: 2006–2010; 29 produced
Class: Sports car (S)
Body style: 2-door targa top
Layout: Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Engine: 4.7 L Koenigsegg twin supercharged V8
Transmission: 6-speed manual; 6-speed sequential
Designer: Christian von Koenigsegg ; David Crafoord ; w:sv:Sven-Harry Åkesson; Sven-Harry Åkesson
Assembly: Ängelholm, Sweden
Manufacturer: Koenigsegg Automotive AB