Two decades of Koenigsegg celebrated with unique CC850

Relatively quiet since unveiling the Gemera two years ago, Koenigsegg has celebrated its twentieth anniversary in dramatic style by debuting the CC850 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance currently taking place in Monterey, California.

Based on the Jesko that premiered three years ago, the CC850 pays homage to the original CC8 S that put the brand on the map as a hypercar manufacturer.

Despite the visual similarities, the newcomer boasts a radical new transmission capable of functioning either as a manual or an automatic.

Hooked to the same 5.0-litre twin-turbo V8 as the Jesko, albeit detuned to 872kW/1 385Nm when fuelled by petrol or 1 020kW/1 385Nm when using E85, the bespoke ‘box, called Engage Shift System, sports an open-gate design with six-speeds, but also two additional gates for Reverse and Drive.

Intertwined with the self-shifting nine-speed Light Speed Transmission using a mechanical linkage in addition to a clutch pedal, the transmission can be altered by a series of settings and used as a manual with the mentioned six-speeds, or stuck into Drive like a conventional automatic with the nine-speeds.

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Branded “the world’s most powerful and fastest manual production car” by Koenigsegg, the automaker, somewhat ironically, didn’t divulge any performance details, though it did reveal the kerb weight of 1 385 kg and ability to be adapted for right-hand-drive markets.

Like the CC8 S, the CC850’s roof can be removed and stored underneath the front hatch, with another carryover being the scissor-opening synchrohelix doors. Along with the CC850’s performance, Koenigsegg also remained mum on the specifications of the interior.

Emphasised not as a record breaker or new performance benchmark similar to the Jesko, but a car designed to “deliver the purest, most fundamentally joyful driving experience” possible, only 50 CC850 will be made at an undisclosed sticker price likely to undercut that of the Jesko.