New Koenigsegg CC850 Hypercar Has a Gated Manual With an Automatic Mode
Only 50 will be built as a celebration of founder Christian von Koenigsegg's 50th birthday.
2022 marks two important milestones for Swedish hypercar brand Koenigsegg. It's the 20th anniversary of the release of the CC8S, the first production car from Koenigsegg, and it also happens to be founder and CEO Christian von Koenigsegg's birthday, which took place last month. To celebrate, Koenigsegg has unveiled the CC850, a new hypercar that's a modern reimagining of the CC8S, and unlike most of the brand's modern hypercars, which have chased after top speed records or performance benchmarks, the purpose of the CC850 is to be as fun to drive as possible.
The CC850 is about 7 inches longer than the CC8S, and it's a bit wider and taller as well. The styling has been kept pretty close to the original, with the largest updates being to the rear end, which has rectangular taillights, a smooth bumper and a large diffuser. Other minor updates, like the headlights and aero elements like the splitters, have made a big difference in how modern the CC850 looks. It's got the same synchrohelix doors and removable roof as the CC8S, although the CC850 has newer Koenigsegg trademark features like the Autoskin function that opens all the doors and body panels at the press of a button.
The rear end has the biggest upgrades.
On the inside, things look much closer to a modern Koenigsegg, but the CC850's mostly symmetrical dashboard and thin center console are reminiscent of the CC8S. It has rad analog gauges, door handles shaped like the Koenigsegg crest and tons of leather and carbon fiber. And unlike the CC8S, the CC850 is fully crash tested and road legal for use in the US. It's also got modern features like a surround-view camera, climate control, Apple CarPlay, wireless phone charging and a hydraulic suspension lift.
Powering the CC850 is Koenigsegg's flat-plane-crank twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8. On regular gas it makes 1,185 horsepower, but that figure is boosted to 1,385 hp if one uses E85 fuel. Peak power comes on at 7,800 rpm while the engine redlines at 8,500 rpm, and the peak torque figure of 1,020 pound-feet is reached at 4,800 rpm. The CC850 weighs just 1,385 kilograms (3,503 pounds), which gives it a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio. Like on the Jesko, the CC850's engine doesn't have a flywheel, so it's as fast-revving as possible.
Check out that linkage!
The CC850's transmission is the really mind-blowing thing. Called the Engage Shift System (ESS), this multiratio transmission is based on the Jesko's multiclutch Light Speed Transmission and allows for both manual and automatic shifting. In manual mode the ESS has six speeds and a clutch pedal; Koenigsegg describes it as being one of the most engaging manuals ever created. But the ESS can also be put into automatic mode, where it has nine speeds and shifts on its own. The gear ratios are able to be changed depending on the drive mode, and Koenigsegg says the transition between manual and automatic mode happens seamlessly. Best of all, the shifter itself is gated and has super-intricate visible linkage, and the knob is topped by the Swedish flag, just like on the CC8S.
Koenigsegg hasn't announced a price for the CC850 yet, but with only 50 set to be built, it's sure to cost at least $3 million to start. Given how revolutionary the CC850's transmission is, and how it's being pitched as a more analog, enthusiast-oriented option compared to the rest of the hypercar crowd, we suspect they'll all be snatched up by the time Monterey Car Week is over.
