Koenigsegg Breaks Breaks World Record For Production Cars

[SVT2888]

01-03-2005
Koenigsegg Breaks World Record for Production Cars The Koenigsegg CCR breaks the World Record

On February the 28th 2005, at 12.08 local time, the Koenigsegg CCR broke the production road car speed record, achieving a new official top speed of 388 (387.87) km/h at Italy's Nardo Prototipo proving ground.

A team of five Koenigsegg engineers and mechanics together with founder Christian von Koenigsegg ran, a technically standard Koenigsegg CCR in order to take the top speed record for productions road cars. The famous supercar test driver, Loris Bicocchi who is a veteran recorder breaker, drove the CCR.

The Koenigsegg CCR raised McLaren's previously unofficial mark of 372 km/h set at Nardo/Prototipo in 1993 with over 15 km/h. On top of this the CCR broke the official McLaren F1 record of 386.7 km/h, which was set on the 9 km straight line VW Ehra facility in Wolfsburg Germany.

A team of Nardo Prototipo technicians independently verified the speed of the CCR. The car was clocked using Tag Heuer´s Splitmaster 650 with photocells stationary at the track, recording the average speed during 1 km.

Nardo Prototipo is a circular track with a circumference of 12.5 km. This means that the car is driven in a constant turning motion, which makes the exercise and speed even more impressive. The steering wheel at this speed is kept at around 30 degrees of constant angel, which equivalates to a sharp corner for the speed.

The constant turning motion of the car creates extra friction on the tires. This extra friction overcomes the extra horsepower that was needed for further acceleration. The maximum speed was reached at around 6790 rpm, which is not equivalent to the maximum hp level, which is at a higher rpm.

With this verification of speed, Christian von Koenigsegg is even more confident that the Koenigsegg CCR is capable of reaching its projected top speed of 395 km/h, or more, in a straight line.

Driver Loris Bicocchi was very impressed by the performance of the car. He feels happy to finally prove the performance of the Koenigsegg. "This test was very important for the customers and owners of Koenigsegg cars. It proves that their belief and faith in the small Koenigsegg Company was well founded".

Filmator documented the record attempt. Filmator is a Swedish film crew that currently is making a documentary about the Koenigsegg Company for Swedish television.

The official Test Report is issued by Prototipo, acting as a third party verificator and is forwarded to the Guinness Book of Records for processing.

Other interesting data from the Nardo test

Max temperatures (in degree Celsius) during 40 seconds of full throttle: Ambient temperature: 8, Tires: 64, Engine coolant: 91, Intake air after intercooler: 64, Gearbox oil 94 degrees, Engine oil 112.

68 litre of fuel at the start of the test.

Car Set-up:
Standard road car fuel, Standard CCR Michelin tires, Standard ride height of the car, standard engine configuration, standard wheel geometries, standard gearbox, standard clutch, standard brakes, standard over boost pressure from the superchargers.

Test safety equipment:
Roll cage, 4 point safety belts, Fire extinguisher system, logging for data collection.

Comparison chart results at Nardo/Prototipo for Production cars:
1. Koenigsegg CCR 388 km/h
2. McLaren F1 372 km/h
3. Ferrari Enzo 355 km/h
4. Porsche Carrera GT 334 km/h
4. McLaren Mercedes SLR 334 km/h
5. Lamborghini Murcielago 330 km/h


Data was collected from Auto Motor & Sport, The official McLaren web page and from Prototipo for the Koenigsegg data.

This press release can also be downloaded from: www.koenigsegg.com. On the webpage there is also a scorching hot video clip from the test.

For further information, please contact: lotta@koenigsegg.se or halldora@koenigsegg.se

Koenigsegg Automotive AB
http://www.salon-auto.ch/en/exposant...Content=12757#

[Swahili]

Those cars are CRAZY fast. They're a little funny looking, but for the performance they offer, I'd take something even more odd looking. They get an awful lot of power out of a small supercharged V8. This car blows my mind.

[powervette]

I saw today in a "mini-encyclopedia of cars" an information that Callaway Sledge-Hammer reached 408 km/h.But it wasn't a production car I guess.
Where's the Ford GT?It was said in TopGear that GT is faster in a straight line than SLR.

[geronimo66]

"They get an awful lot of power out of a small supercharged V8"


Think about hoy many guys are running around here in the states with Vortech S/C on there Cobras making 600-700HP and higher. Seems like a very similar set up (gernerally speaking). 4 Valves, and a lil forced induction sound good to me

[Ming]

Now if they could just break the niche production record.... How many cars of this brand have actually been sold? I recall seeing many great looking concepts and such, but little product out there in customer's hands. But my knowledge of this brand is dated, at best, so I could be off.

[johnd89]

I'm VERY impressed with this car: not so with the price they ask for it, but what can you do...

here's another record:0-100-0 in 10.3 sec!!!

this time around, not in sweden, but good 'ol UK with a Chevy engine
http://www.ultimasports.co.uk/performance.html

[big swede]

Originally Posted by geronimo66

"They get an awful lot of power out of a small supercharged V8"


Think about hoy many guys are running around here in the states with Vortech S/C on there Cobras making 600-700HP and higher. Seems like a very similar set up (gernerally speaking). 4 Valves, and a lil forced induction sound good to me

His first cars actually used a slightly enlarged Cobra engine with an aluminum block and a Twin Screw supercharger. I'm not sure if that is what he is still using or not. Very few low volume car makers have their own powerplant and about 5 years ago 11 manufacturers used the 4.6 DOHC from Ford including Koenigsegg.

[Darc Requiem]

Hmmm....I thought the Callaway Sledgehammer Vetter held the top speed record at 254+mph. Either was those Koenigsegg's are sweet machines. My conversion rate may be off but isn't 387.87 kph equal to about 240mph?

[big swede]

Originally Posted by Darc Requiem

Hmmm....I thought the Callaway Sledgehammer Vetter held the top speed record at 254+mph. Either was those Koenigsegg's are sweet machines. My conversion rate may be off but isn't 387.87 kph equal to about 240mph?

The Callaway is not a production car it's a tuner car. That may sound like a small detail but with regulations and warrenties that's a huge detail.

[Speedo]

[quote=Ming]Now if they could just break the niche production record.... How many cars of this brand have actually been sold? QUOTE]

I can tell you having driven a Koenigsegg that not many are sold at all (less than a handful) and the car is not worth buying for that price ($500,000 US). I'd buy a Ford and supercharge it. . Too much money for a V8 Ford engine car. Shame Koenigsegg does not admit to using a Ford engine (he calls it "Koenigsegg") because potential customers (if any like me) won't pay the big bucks he wants. They'll go to Ferrari, Lambo or Porsche for real supercars.

Koenigsegg CCR and CC8s (same engine) is a tuner kit car from a small kitchen factory in Sweden -no production levels there to be any different to a tuner. Porsche 9ff has already beaten that record before koenigseg (no mention of that by Koenigsegg).

Koenigsegg has no brand, no heritage and false claims yet wants to be compared with high priced cars like Ferrari etc to make $$$-I hate deception - But well done Ford anyway!

[naylor83]

Originally Posted by Speedo

Koenigsegg CCR and CC8s (same engine) is a tuner kit car from a small kitchen factory in Sweden -no production levels there to be any different to a tuner. Porsche 9ff has already beaten that record before koenigseg (no mention of that by Koenigsegg).

Koenigsegg has no brand, no heritage and false claims yet wants to be compared with high priced cars like Ferrari etc to make $$$-I hate deception - But well done Ford anyway!

I find it strange that you consider Koenigsegg a tuner just because they don't sell that many cars. In my world (and I believe many others' too) a tuner is someone who modifies an existing production car, often produced by another company.

The Koenigsegg is constructed from the ground up by Koenigsegg, apart from the engine as I understand it. The fact that they only have sold around 20 cars doesn't make it a less unique construction.

You are right in that Koenigsegg don't yet have the heritage and brand of Ferarri or Lambo. The Top Gear guys also noted this in their (beautiful!) test drive of this car rougly a year (?) ago, but they still liked it alot.

By the way, how did you manage to get a test drive of the Koenigsegg? As you said, there isn't exactly one parked on every street corner.

[Darc Requiem]

Naylor you are absolutely right. Koenigsegg is a production car. The guy is design and constructed the car himself. There have been plenty of production cars that have sourced engines from other manufacturers. I guess the Saleen S7 isn't a production car either...well at least according to Speedo.

[Speedo]

You can call it production if that's how you define it. What I meant there is that koenigsegg has simply TUNED a FORD V8 engine in their very small number of cars sold -something they lie about constantly by saying it is THEIR 'Koenigsegg' engine - why lie and deny that fact?

Also, selling "20 cars" as naylor83 said is not even true -let alone sufficient to claim full production. Where did you get your figures from naylor83? I challenge Koenigsegg to reveal the true number. I bet he won't. Because I have a pretty good idea of how many are really sold and to whom and they number less than 5!

The people that really bought koenigsegg cars can not resell them now without a huge drop in price (unlike enzo etc which go up in price, yet they try to sell for close to that price!). Koenigsegg like to talk up their sales because of perception of failure and company viability problems due to lack of sales...

Someone else designed the shape of the car and koenigsegg just takes credit for it. The 'factory' is tiny and I know tuner shops and garages that are much bigger in staff and size not to mention financial success. Engine is old Ford.

I have no problem with Saleen because he admits to at least using another engine (he does not plagiarise and call it his engine) and does not lie or hide that fact from his potential clients! Yes it is a small volume 'production'.

Finally, why are we forgetting the 9ff Porsche which beat Koenigsegg to that record months ago? Just because they did not publicise it as much! I'd rather a reliable, tough Porsche engine anytime to that Ford engine used by Koenigsegg -no offence to Ford...

So buy a Koenigsegg at your own risk (if you want to get ripped off with that high price and fall for the false claims) but when you blow it up (overtuned Ford engine!), try to fix it (where??) or get rid of it (at a huge $$ loss) remember my words. Just do your research first before you fall for the propaganda. Thank you.

[kain01]

I'm curious why no one ever includes the Callaway Sledgehammer in these. Considering it went 408 km/h, and you could actually purchase it for about the same price as an Enzo now, to me that makes it a production car. Not to mention they actually did sell two or three.

[Redcoat]

you guys are ignoring the rules for the (record-making) competition.

The Sledgehammer and 9FF are mass-produced cars with BIG TURBOS and some extra bodywork on them. they are TUNER CARS.

The Konigsegg is a ground-up supercar from scratch. The engine uses a 4.6L block, but is very very very different to anything with a blue oval on it - even the GT.

Its like similar to how the 5.0L V8 engines in a 1998-200x Land Rover Discovery is a Buick engine because it traces its roots back to the Buick 215 (via Rover).

Remember, in the sportscar world it is very normal to use a mass-produced engine: Vector used a Chevy, Saleen a Ford, TVR used Ford V6s and the Rover V8, Porsche a VW 4-cylinder (924) etc etc etc.


look at a picture of the K-seg engine and you can see that aint just a punched-out supercharged Ford.

more info: http://www.koenigsegg.com/thecars/en...?engineering=2