New Koenigsegg CC850 honours OG CC8S as it turns 20

The car that launched Koenigsegg’s crusade to hypercar royalty – the CC8S – is turning 20 this year and, to celebrate, the Swedish marque has revealed the new limited-run 2022 Koenigsegg CC850.

Coinciding with company founder and CEO Christian von Koenigsegg’s 50th birthday, just 50 examples of the reimagined hypercar are being produced, but beyond the exterior styling the CC850 has little in common with its muse.

Based on the box-fresh Koenigsegg Jesko, the CC850 is powered by a twin-turbo 5.0-litre petrol V8 churning out a monstrous 883kW/1385Nm, all of which is sent exclusively to the rear wheels by a revolutionary new transmission that can be operated as either a six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic.

Koenigsegg calls its creation the Engage Shift System (ESS) and it’s largely based on the ‘light speed transmission’ (LST) found in Jesko, albeit with a clutch pedal and gear lever that can act as the ultimate manual override.

The ratios of those six manual gears change depending on the drive mode or driving situation – road or track – and the LST has ability to shift directly from any ratio to another without having to shuffle through all the others.

Despite not being a true manual in terms of its design and mechanism, Koenigsegg says the ESS is “one of the most engaging manuals ever created” and that’s probably a good thing given the CC850 has a ‘megacar’ power-to-weight ratio of 1:1… when it’s run on E85.

A feat first achieved by the Koenigsegg One:1, the CC850’s E85-boosted 1033kW peak power figure equates to 1385 horsepower, meaning there’s 1hp for every kilogram of the car’s mass, which in this case is 1385kg.

Obsessive compulsives will be thrilled when they realise there’s also 1385Nm of torque on offer, meaning all three key figures are identical and 1Nm also motivates each kilogram.

No performance figures have been published yet, but there’s little doubt the full-throttle experience will be brutal if and when the 325/30-profile rear tyres hook up.

The impressive kerb weight comes courtesy of an all-carbon-fibre tub with integrated fuel tank, carbon-kevlar blended body panels, forged aluminium wheels, carbon-fibre intake manifold and 3D printed exhaust manifold.

Suspension duties are handled by double wishbones all round, supporting electronically controlled gas-hydraulic shock absorbers with Triplex dampers at the rear.

Like most modern speed machines, the nose can be raised (+50mm) to help improve clearance, while the running ride height varies between 70 and 100mm depending on the drive mode.

A lot like the exterior, the interior is a subtly modernised remake of the CC8S’s cabin with an analogue instrument cluster and largely symmetrical dash layout/design, the latter lending itself well to both left and right-hand-drive configurations.

Headline equipment features include an adjustable pedal box, carbon bucket seats, leather or Alcantara upholstery, exposed shifter mechanism, climate control, Koenigsegg infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, wireless charging, automated doors, removable roof panel and ‘bird’s eye’ parking assistance.

Speaking at the cars’s reveal, Christian von Koenigsegg said the CC850 is an “homage to the single most meaningful car in Koenigsegg history”.

“The CC8S put us on the map and made us successful – and celebrating 20 years of production, alongside my 50th birthday, felt like the right time to reveal the CC850 to appreciate our roots,” he said.

“The CC850 was not created to break Jesko’s track records or set new high-water marks for top speed, but to offer the highest level of driver satisfaction and enjoyment with the exhilarating performance for which Koenigsegg is renowned.”

No asking prices have been revealed yet, but they’re sure to be a fair bit higher than the multi-million-dollar Jesko range.

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