The Story Of The Only Koenigsegg Racecar Ever Made

Koenigsegg's first production car was theultra-rare CC8S, but did you know that it was supposed to go racing? When Christian von Koenigsegg first envisioned the CC platform, he designed it with an eye toward motorsport - even testing aprototype with a Subaru Formula 1 engine- and so in 2003, he began work onthe CCGT program. As a side project, it took years for the first one to be produced.

In 2007, the fruits of Koenigsegg's labor were presented in the form of the CCGT, which, as the name alludes to, was intended to compete in the GT1 class. But just two short months after the automaker began shakedown tests with the FIA, the ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest, the organizing body for the 24 Hours of Le Mans) changed the rules for GT1 competition. Had Koenigsegg been bigger at the time, the car may have raced before then, but a lot happens in motorsport in four years.

Instead of a manufacturer needing to build just 20 production cars over the course of a few years, the ACO decided that entrants had to build 350 cars. And they'd have to keep that up every year.

For a boutique automaker that prides itself on attention to detail, such a task was impossible. Another reason the car was withdrawn was that the rules dictated carbon monocoque chassis were no longer legal. Koenigsegg was never going to compromise on that, so the program died after just one car was produced.

It's a real shame that the car never had a chance to fulfill its potential because Christian designed it to the exact specifications of the previous rules, and those who have driven it say that "it handles like a dream and that it would have been very competitive."

But this unfortunate outcome created a unique ownership opportunity for one lucky individual - the only example ever made is on auction viaBonhams.