Koenigsegg

Koenigsegg has only produced 45 cars in its entire history, but it's already getting tricky to keep tabs on the different models coming out of the Swedish supercar manufacturer's doors.

We've had the CC8S, the CCR, the CCGT and the CCX - no, not a clue - and now there's this: the CCXR. But you won't be forgetting about this one in a hurry.

Because the CCXR is the first Koeniggsegg - hell, the first supercar runs on E85 bioethanol, a mix of 15 per cent petrol and 85 per cent of what is, essentially, pure alcohol.

The theory behind bioethanol is straightforward enough: whatever crop you choose to distil your moonshine from will have absorbed at least as much CO² while it grows as it releases when it's burnt.

Factor in the energy to convert the crop to bioethanol, accept that bioethanol cars have about a 25 per cent greater thirst, and the upshot is that a car running on E85 will have a 50 per cent smaller carbon footprint than an equivalent car running on petrol alone.

And, in good news for a car that'll set you back a snip over 600 grand, bioethanol gives out even more power. The Koenigsegg CCXR develops 1,004bhp. The Veyron puts out 986bhp. So, halved carbon footprint and all, the CCXR is the world's most powerful production car.

On the road, that means a 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds and a top speed on the scary side of 250mph. Clearly the CCXR is a car that requires a superhuman test pilot. A other-worldly blend of racing driver and bioethanol-glugging loon. In other words, the Stig.

Yes, we sent our barely tamed test driver to Sweden to wrestle with the CCXR. To find out what happened, you'll need to buy this month's issue of Top Gear magazine.

In the meantime, though, read what a crash in the world's greenest supercar feels like.

And, just before you laugh off the CCXR as a cynical cash-in on the big green problem, consider this.

Because Koenigsegg is free from the rigours of production cycles and corporate accountability and influence of the oil lobby, its tiny bunch of alternative fuel pioneers are more able to experiment and progress with green technologies than most other car manufacturers.

No, the CCXR isn't going to create any fresh ice caps or rehouse stranded polar bears, but at least it proves how far eco-technology can be pushed.

© Source: topgear
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