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Back in the 2000s, Koenigsegg engineers worked on one heck of a side project. Christian von Koenigsegg wanted to race at Le Mans, so a small team led by Dag Bölenius hand-built and developed the glorious CCGT GT1 that you see above.
Based on a CCR but with elements from the CCX, the racecar weighed under 1,000kg and generated over 600kg of downforce. Its naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 was restricted to 600bhp to meet regulations, and power was transferred to the rear wheels through an AP Racing twin-disc clutch and a sequential gearbox that was previously operated by a proper lever, but that has since been swapped out for paddleshifters.
There was a carbon chassis, double wishbone suspension, gas-hydraulic shock absorbers, a pneumatic pit stop lift system, carbon fibre/Kevlar body panels and carbon brakes all round, but tragically the car would never race…
Having been built between 2003 and 2007, test drives took place at Knutstorp race circuit in 2008. Unfortunately, just a couple of months later the ACO and FIA changed the rules for the GT1 class. Carbon monocoques were out and minimum production numbers went from 20 cars over several years to 350 cars per year. The Koenigsegg endurance racing dream was dead.
Just one CCGT had been built before the rule change, so the car you see above is a genuine one-off. Oh, and it’s heading up for auction with Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The estimate? Somewhere between R71 - R95 million. Yikes.
It might just be worth the money though. The car is described as ‘practically new’ as it’s still wearing its original slick tyres and has had just one private owner since it left the factory. Said owner was Bård Eker – a Norwegian entrepreneur who was the largest shareholder in Koenigsegg Automotive at the time and who once won the World Powerboat Championship in a Lamborghini-powered boat.
The CCGT was used for occasional display runs over the years but was otherwise kept in a temperature-controlled storage unit, where it was treated to ‘twice-yearly engine maintenance runs’. There’s more good news for the eventual buyer though, because the Masters Historic Racing organisation has confirmed that, although this thing didn’t race in period, it will be allowed to compete in the Masters Endurance Legends Series.
We can’t wait to see it on track…
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