Koenigsegg
Koenigsegg Chimera is part Jesko, part CC850 & the only manual Agera
Koenigsegg has built a new one-off hypercar based on a 9-year-old Agera RS. It was specially commissioned by the current FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. However, it’s not just any other one-off spec. In fact, it’s part Jesko and part CC850 housed inside an Agera RS body.
In 2021, Koenigsegg revealed the Jesko as a replacement for the Agera RS. A year later, the company debuted the CC850 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the CC8S. Looking at both these cars, Ben Sulayem thought what if he could get his Agera RS upgraded with the latest tech.
Convincing Christian to create such a one-off may not have been easy. But, Sulayem had an idea. He offered his Agera RS to be used as a development mule for the 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine and the trick manual transmission of the CC850. Thus, the Koenigsegg Chimera was born.
The Chimera not only has a proper gated shifter in the centre but even has paddles behind the steering wheel, unlike the CC850. So, the driver has three options – drive it as a 9-speed automatic, 6-speed manual or via the paddles. The engine puts out 1280 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque on pump gas or 1600 hp on E85, the same as the Jesko.
Another big advantage of the Agera RS chassis though, is that it’s 100 kg lighter than the Jesko. So, the feeling you get when you unleash all 1280 hp is a tad more intense.