Koenigsegg Cars

Exotic cars and motorcycles have to be the ultimate gadgets. Many of them are brimming with gadgetry themselves, kinda like gadgets on a gadget. If you watch a Formula One Grand Prix or Moto GP race you’ll see gadgets everywhere. Not just in the pit garages but on the drivers and riders themselves. Everything from MP3 sunglasses to USB body coolers.

The Formula One and Moto GP seasons are just about to kick off for 2008 and we here at Gadget Freaks are close to wetting ourselves in excitement. So we thought we’d take a look at some exotica on 2 and 4 wheels as we gear up for 2008.

Koenigsegg is a Swedish Company that builds some of the most exclusive supercars in the world. They produced their first prototype in 1993 and produced their first production model, the CC8S in 2000.

The latest Koenigsegg to roll off the production line is the sleek and expensive CCX. With its 4.7 litre twin supercharged V8 engine and 6 speed manual gearbox it produces 806 Bhp with a respectable top speed of 245+ MPH ( 395+ KPH ) and it will set you back around US$600,000.

Whilst the Koenigsegg is fabricated primarily of carbon fibre US designer Joe Harman has chosen a slightly unorthodox material from which to build his brand of supercar. The ‘Splinter’ has a 4.6 litre V8 engine with a top speed of 245+ MPH and is made of wood! Yes that’s right! Wood! The first production models are expected to hit the road later in 2008 and the price is listed as TBA. Like if you have to ask you couldn’t afford it anyway. We are thinking of ordering one as a Gadget Freaks runabout to pick up the lunches and such. Better find a good carpenter to do our crash repairs I guess.

Now to two wheels and the crazy world of motorcycles. Not content to just have a cool ride some folk seem determined to create machines that resemble assisted suicide devices. One such creation is the ‘Y2K’. It is a US$185′000 motorcycle that is powered by a jet engine which would normally be found in a Bell Jet Ranger Helicopter. It has an estimated top speed of over 250mph ( +400 KMH ) and can accelerate to 200 MPH in under 15 seconds. The ‘Y2K’ is manufactured in the US by MTT and each bike takes 3000 man hours to build. Famous car and bike collector Jay Leno has one and he described the sensation of riding it as “Having the hand of God pushing you in the back.”