For sale: the only Koenigsegg racing car ever built
Koenigsegg builds some of the most desirable hypercars in the world, but the company has never ventured into racing. Or so we thought. This Koenigsegg CCGT was intended for Le Mans but never ran due to a rule change.
Founded in 1994 by successful entrepreneur Christian von Koenigsegg, Koenigswegg put its first model into production, the CC8S, eight years later.
Koenigsegg CCGT scheduled for Le Mans
In 2007, this CCGT shone at the Geneva Motor Show. It was intended for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and was intended to compete under FIM rules for LMP prototypes. In other words: in the GT1 class.
The CCGT weighs less than 1,000 kilograms, generates around 600 kilograms of downforce and draws more than 600 hp from its naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine. All power is sent to the rear wheels via a sequential racing gearbox.
In addition, the CCGT is equipped with a built-in pneumatic jack, carbon-ceramic brake discs and a body made of carbon fiber and Kevlar. Originally there was a shift lever, but today you can only operate the transmission using paddles behind the steering wheel.
Four years of development time for free
The car took four years to develop, from 2003 to 2007, but it was all for naught. Two months after Koenigsegg started track testing, the organization of the 24 Hours of Le Mans changed the rules.
Carbon fiber monocoques were no longer allowed (the CCGT has one) and manufacturers suddenly had to build more road versions to compete in the GT1 class. The number rose from a total of twenty to three hundred and fifty a year. And of course Koenigsegg couldn’t do that.
Stored neatly for sixteen years
What remains is a unique car. The only existing CCGT was sold 16 years ago by Koenigsegg to a shareholder who occasionally demonstrated it but otherwise put it into storage.
So it’s as good as new, with the same slicks that were on it when we last tested it. The owner has maintained the CCGT well and even raced it twice a year to keep the bike in good condition.
Auction house Bonhams will attempt to sell it on July 14 during the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The estimate of the proceeds is rather broad: between 3 and 4 million pounds. That’s around 3.5 to 4.6 million euros.