700bhp Four-door Koenigsegg

Koenigsegg CCXR

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Tom Bird
21 August 2008

The Swedish supercar maker, Koenigsegg, is looking to launch a 700bhp V8-engined four-door saloon by 2011. A prototype version of the car is expected at the Geneva Motor Show in 2010.

The new car has been in development for the past two years. The firm currently has a clay model of the car, but needs outside investment to further the project on. It is looking to the Gulf for investment, where the firm has found many fans.

The engine will not be the same as found within the CCX, but will be a V8 with 700bhp. It will be built entirely out of carbonfibre – but is not based on the same architecture as the CCX, however there will be family resemblances between the two.

Andreas Petre, Koenigsegg’s Dubai manager, told CAR Middle East, that the new four-door ‘will weigh less than any other performance saloon on sale, and will have a top speed of 350kph.’

The four-door saloon – set to go up against the forthcoming Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera – will be the firm’s first foray into mass production, especially in markets like the US where it will begin deliveries next year. The CCX will remain in production, but numbers will be limited to a maximum of 35 per year.

‘The four-door will be slightly cheaper than the CCX, and we hope to build 70-80 cars a year’, Petre said. The US is expected to account for 50 percent of sales, with Asia taking 30 percent, and the Middle East 20 percent.

Koenigsegg is expanding its dealer network in the region and currently has showrooms in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. A Bahrain dealership is due to open within the next year. ‘We will be in every GCC country apart from Oman’, Petre added.

What do you think of a Koenigsegg saloon? Is it a step too far for the Swedish supercar maker? Or will it be an interesting alternative to the Aston Rapide or Porsche Panamera? Let us know in the comments box below.

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Mohamed Humaid says

Re: 700bhp Four-door Koenigsegg
pretty enthusiastic. however, mostly, those who want a fast four-door, want it for its added practicality over the coupe. Despite the fact that reliability, user-friendliness, and comfort are important factors in practicality, they are not really what we expect from a Koenigsegg... Unless Koenigsegg heads check the practicality boxes, I doubt this car's success. Reply

01 September 2008

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