Koenigsegg CCX

Koenigsegg CCX

The CCX was first unveiled on February 28, 2006 at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show although its existence was announced earlier. A derivative known as the CCXR is available, the main difference being that CCXR's engine is tuned to run on biofuel. The different fuel and tune allows the CCXR to produce 25% more power than the CCX. CCX is an abbreviation for Competition CoupƩ X; the X commemorating the 10th anniversary (being the Roman numeral for ten) of the completion and test drive of the first CC vehicle in 1996. The CCX is 1.6 in (41 mm) taller than the CCR and, combined with the carbon fiber reinforced plastic sports seats by Sparco, the CCX allows for 2 in (51 mm) of extra headroom that Autoweek reviewer Mark Vaughn hypothesizes is "to accommodate U.S. NBA stars." The electronic control unit has also received an upgrade over the CCR meaning that the CCX is without physical fuses and it is lighter than the previous system.

Engine
Previous Koenigsegg models were powered by Ford Modular V8 engines sourced from the U.S. Though also based on the Ford Modular architecture the engine of the CCX was thoroughly re-engineered by Koenigsegg themselves and is assembled at the Koenigsegg factory. The engine block for the dual overhead camshaft, 4 valve per cylinder 4.7 liter 288 cu in (4,719 cc) V8 is cast for them by Grainger & Worrall, a British company that produces drivetrain components for Formula One cars. The engine block is made of 356 Aluminium that has undergone a T7 heat treatment, a form of accelerated precipitation strengthening. The aluminium alloy is stronger than the previous engine and allows a thinner, thus lighter, engine block that will withstand higher cylinder pressures. The engine is boosted by two centrifugal superchargers that provide 17.5 psi (1.2 bar) of boost with an 8.2:1 compression ratio. The engine produces 806 bhp (601 kW; 817 PS) at 6900 rpm and 678 lb·ft (919 N·m) of torque at 5700 rpm on 91 octane (U.S. rating) gasoline. The engine is lubricated with a dry sump system with a separate oil pump, the pistons are cooled by oil sprayed onto them and the oil itself has an external cooler. The CCX does 14 mpg (17 l/100 km) in combined cycle and 18 mpg (13 l/100 km) in highway travel.

Performance

The CCX can accelerate from 0–62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.2 seconds and from 0–124 mph (200 km/h) in 9.8 seconds. According to Koenigsegg it has a top speed of approximately 250 mph (400 km/h), although this has not been officially verified. On 15 June 2008, a standard fully equipped CCX was independently timed by sport auto in achieving a record 0-186-0 mph (0-300–0 km/h) in 29.2 seconds, beating the Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR 722 Edition, the Lamborghini MurciĆ©lago LP640, the Porsche 997 GT2, the Alpina B6 S (based on the BMW 6 Series), and the Corvette Z06.