Koenigsegg CC850 hypercar revealed, set for Australia

Exotic Swedish hypercar maker Koenigsegg has revealed the CC850, a tribute to its first production car – debuting a clever transmission capable of acting as a six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic at the flick of a lever.

Revealed during Monterey Car Week in California, the CC850 is a modern reimagining of Koenigsegg's first production car, the CC8S, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Only 50 examples will be built – a nod to Koenigsegg founder (and namesake) Christian von Koenigsegg, who turned 50 last month.

Powering the CC850 is a version of the Koenigsegg Jesko hypercar's 5.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, developing 872kW on standard premium fuel, or 1019kW and 1385Nm on high-performance E85 petrol (containing 85 per cent ethanol).

But the star of the mechanical package is Koenigsegg's 'Light Speed Transmission', which has been adapted to allow the car to operate as a quick-shifting nine-speed automatic, or a traditional six-speed manual transmission with a clutch pedal, at the flick of a lever.

Activated by pushing the gear lever from Drive into a main 'H-pattern', the six gears chosen for manual selection out of the total nine change between drive modes.

"For example, if you're on a racetrack, you're probably driving out to the [pit lane], and not using the first gear very much. Third gear in the nine-speed gearbox is close to a traditional long first gear of an old-school hypercar [or race car]," Christian von Koenigsegg told YouTube creator Mr JWW.

"That's good enough for racetrack drivers, that you get out of the pits for the long first gear, and then you have ... five slots beyond the first gear.

"In normal mode, you don't want that long of a first gear. So instead of using third, we're using second as the first gear, which is about the same ratio as the six-speed [manual] gearbox we used to have [in Koenigsegg's older manual supercars].

"But then when you've had enough of that, [if] you're in a traffic jam or you just want to relax, you can slot it into Drive, and then it's a nine-speed automatic.

Christian von Koenigsegg says the company wants the CC850's manual gearbox mode to feel like a "proper manual and not like some video game". The CC850 can stall, just like a traditional manual car.

The manual shifter is said to be inspired by Swiss watches, with the shifter featuring a Swedish flag in its centre – like the original 2002 CC8S.

The CC850's 5.0-litre V8 engine is pitched as "most responsive, fast-revving engine possible", according to Koenigsegg (the company), and lacks a flywheel (used by other engines for balance, and to smooth out the power delivery).

Koenigsegg says the new car weighs 1385kg with all fluids – giving it a one-to-one power to weight ratio.

The new car's styling is clearly inspired by the original CC8S, with a similar silhouette, five-hole 'telephone dial' alloy wheels, and six-eye tail-lights. The body is made from a mix of carbon fibre and kevlar, with a removable roof and signature 'synchrohelix' doors.

It measures 4364mm long, 2024mm wide and 1127mm tall – the same length as a four-cylinder Porsche 718 Cayman, but 200mm wider, and about 150mm lower.

Inside, highlights include an all-analogue instrument cluster (though there's a touchscreen in the middle, incorporating Apple CarPlay), exposed mechanical components beneath the gear lever, and a mix of leather, carbon fibre and dark metallic finishes.

Only 50 Koenigsegg CC850 hypercars will be built – in left and right-hand drive – for an unknown price.

At least one is bound for Australia, reportedly purchased by Adrian Portelli, the director of the LMCT+ car raffle company – which bought one of four HSV GTSR W1 Maloo utes for $1.05 million in early 2021.