- This one-off Koenigsegg creation is owned by the president of the FIA.
- The boutique manufacturer has installed a unique transmission with a gated shifter, an automatic mode, and paddle shifters.
- Mohammed Ben Saluyem has a car collection that is thought to be worth more than $75 million.
By the end of this year, Koenigsegg will be producing three different model lines for the first time in its history; the Jesko, Gemera, and CC850. Despite this, its engineers have somehow found the time to develop and build a unique one-off dubbed the Chimera. It is based around an Agera RS but uses parts from the Jesko and the CC850.
The car is owned by Mohammed Ben Saluyem, the president of the FIA. He has owned his Agera RS for six years, and when Koenigsegg unveiled the CC850 with its unique manual transmission in 2022, he decided he wanted to make his hypercar even more special. He approached the Swedish marque with the idea of modifying his Agera RS with the Jesko engine and the transmission of the CC850. Christian von Koenigsegg obliged.
Watch: The Koenigsegg CC850’s Part-Manual, Part-Auto Transmission Will Blow Your Mind
Top Gear recently had the opportunity to drive the car and speak with Christian. The Chimera proves that if you have an open checkbook, almost anything is possible in the world of hypercars.
Modifying Ben Saluyem’s Agera RS was no easy feat. As the Agera was launched a decade ago, its electrical systems are much older than those found in the Jesko. As such, Koenigsegg had to overhaul the wiring in addition to fitting the 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8. This engine is also used by the CC850, but in that guise, it has been detuned. For the Chimera, it gets the full 1,280 hp of the standard Jesko on pump gas and 1,600 hp with E85.
Then there’s the transmission. The unique shift-by-wire system used in the CC850 includes a gated shifter and offers both traditional manual and automatic driving modes, thanks to Koenigsegg’s engineering wizardry. Ben Saluyem wanted the carmaker to take his car to the next level. As such, the transmission of the Chimera doesn’t just feature a gated manual shifter and the possibility to drive it in fully automatic mode, but it also features paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, meaning there are three ways to move between the gears.
The car joins an incredible collection of supercars and hypercars owned by Ben Saluyem. His collection is thought to be worth over $75 million and includes a Ferrari LaFerrari, Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Strassenversion, Aston Martin Valkyrie, McLaren Senna, Pagani Huayra BC, Porsche 911 GT2 Strassenversion, and two McLaren Speedtails.
