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Arriving at the Proving Ground for the Las Vegas Speedway, we anxiously awaited our chance to ride in the Koenigsegg CCX, the world’s fastest production car we’d just seen unveiled at Exotic Cars at Caesar’s Palace, their sole distributor in the United States, a couple nights prior in Las Vegas.

Summer in Las Vegas was as you’d expect, hot. The temperature yesterday was 109 degrees at the racetrack even hotter. Today we started around 8 am so the temperature was just reaching 100 degrees.

Photographers from various auto magazines shot their newest celebrity under the morning sun.

Yesterday, potential buyers test drove the Koenigsegg CCX. They were bubbling with enthusiasm. Richard Wiseman, Founder and CEO of Exotic Cars agrees, “I love the car. It’s the easiest Supercar I’ve ever driven. I’ve driven Enzos, Saleens, McLaren F1, pretty much every car there is.“

British race car driver Justin Bell, a 2^nd generation world champion race car driver, personally introduced each person around the track prior to them taking the wheel.

Riding with Bell was like sitting next to Sean Connery, playing James Bond, driving his Aston Martin in Goldfinger, 100 % business and in total control.

The Koenigsegg CCX was exhilarating. Not easy to say, when one’s a jet pilot, and as you can guess, he wasn’t the one squealing. You should have heard the unexpected surprises when other drivers put their foot on the pedal. They didn’t realize the foot and clutch were so sensitive, nor how easy they could stall it if not handled properly. They felt the power with a near light speed 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds with 806 HP. Bell took us for an “E” ticket ride at Disneyland for an unforgettable day.

With phenomenal reflexes, Bell displayed extreme confidence of one that could do anything on the road and recover from what he did. We know we saw a mere fraction of his capabilities. We sped from corner to corner, and if they weren’t quite so tight, we would have been able to speed nearly as fast as the straight stretch.

The Koenigsegg CCX is a Supercar and may be considered a rich man’s toy. However, any car with more than 800 HP for a 2200 pound carbon-fibre body, is no toy. Treat yourself to all the options. Treat the car with the respect it deserves. Have someone like Bell who knows the car teach you how to drive it properly. You’ll be glad you understand the ins, outs and nuances.

Pink shirt courtesy of Ed Hardy Designs.  Shoes courtesy of Redback Boots.

If you want to experience the Koenigsegg CCX and are not near Exotic Cars at Caesars Palace or aren’t quite ready to pony up $695,000, Bell was told by a 7 year old that the Koenigsegg is planned for an upcoming game. Until then, practicing with other Supercars on Gran Turismo with your Sony Playstation will have to suffice.

If you drive the Koenigsegg CCX, and with a US production availability of 15-20 in 2007, the spotlight is all yours.