The new Koenigsegg CCX-R special edition has a whopping price tag, but it’s the car’s rocket-fast ride and stealthy looks that really cause customers’ jaws to drop.

By Benjamin Minkus

What to do for the wealthy car aficionado who considers a candy apple red Ferrari to be too mundane? An Aston Martin a bit too blasé? A Lotus to be just a bit too dainty?

For starters, the automotive connoisseur in mind might want to get on the phone immediately with legendary Swedish carmaker Koenigsegg, which is set for the grand unveiling of its $2,342,580.46 CCX-R special edition sports car at the Geneva Auto Show in March 2008, an introduction that will be observed with watchful eyes by the world’s most prominent auto-philes. Packed with more than $2 million worth of mean, this automotive masterpiece, with its tasteful and sleek design (entirely composed of lightweight carbon), has the malicious look that could make a mere Lamborghini whimper in fright, thanks to beautifully contrasting ebony and red throughout the exterior and leather-upholstered interior.

“The interior is reworked [from the traditional CCX-R model] and features color-matched leather carpets, edition side-step plates, an edition chronograph instrument cluster, and a new edition-only layout for the center console control panels,” says Lotta De Salvatore, public relations and marketing director for Margretetorp, Sweden-based Koenigsegg Automotive AB. The six-speed manual gearbox, specially designed by Cima, is torque-sensitive, and has limited slip differential.

Taking a look inside this beast, you’ll discover a variety of comforting features, from an iPod-based sound system to first-class, custom-tailored climate control, all at the touch of your fingertips-the interior is practically art on wheels once you see the carefully-planned layout. And while this car goes fast (OK, we know you’re dying to find out how fast. Don’t worry-we’ll get to it), the ride is impressively smooth, thanks to a suspension system built to withstand the aggressive driving conditions that this rocket car is capable of.

“The CCX-R special edition is more track-biased than standard models,” De Salvatore says. “It has stiffer springs and anti-roll bars, reset dampers and lowered chassis. It also features a fully-visible carbon body, a large adjustable rear wing, larger front splitter, and side strakes for increased down force and a unique forged wheel design.” In other words, you’ve been given the green light to feel safe while testing what this car can handle.

And the CCX-R can handle a lot. It’s what’s under the hood that makes the CCX-R so unique: an engine that can run on eco-friendly e85 ethanol fuel (biodiesel fuel), and STILL go from 0-60 in about three seconds, thanks to a 1018-bhp at 7,200 rpm (attention, readers: this is not a misprint), 5.0-liter twin supercharged Koenigsegg “Bio Flexi Fuel” V8 engine. The CCX-R is, in fact, the world’s fastest V8 production sports car. And while it might seem a bit odd that an eco-friendly car has more rubber to burn than a standard-engine model, that’s thanks, in large part, to the ethanol fuel, which has a natural cooling effect in the engine’s combustion chambers, as well as a higher octane rating than standard fuels. The resulting improved performance is second to none-literally unmatched by any production sports car in the world.

All of the biodiesel developments were done in-house, just outside of Angelholm, Sweden, with the project spearheaded by Christian von Koenigsegg (who founded the company in 1993 with the intention of building a world-class supercar), Marco Garver, and Anders Hoglund from Cargine Engineering, a partner of Koenigsegg Automotive AB.

And three seconds is about all you’ll need to enjoy this sleek automobile; but if you hang on just a few seconds longer-provided, of course, that you are willing-you’ll reach top speeds of a staggering 250 miles per hour, a speed at which you can leave cars that are considered “really fast” (you know, since it IS based on Formula One technology) in a trail of eco-friendly dust.
As fast as the CCX-R special edition is, you’ll have to get on the phone with Koenigsegg (or its exclusive U.S. dealer, the highly-regarded Exotic Cars at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada) even faster if you want to get your hands on one. A limited run of only six CCX-R special editions will be made-with two of the handsome vehicles already spoken for-so true car enthusiasts, with a wallet to match their passion for speed, will have to put the pedal to the metal.

Now that’s what we call fast living.