An ultra-rare hypercar is heading to auction at Sotheby’s and is expected to fetch north of $11 million. However, it comes with quite a scandalous past, most of which turns out to be simply fabricated rumors and hearsay.
The Koenigsegg One:1s is one of only six made in the world. It is a beautiful example of what Koenigsegg can produce when they really let their designers go to work. The stunning hypercar boasts a twin-turbocharged 5.0-litre V-8 engine producing 1,360 horsepower in a car weighing only 1,360 kilograms (3,000 pounds), hence the name 1:1.
The auction expects the ultra-rare hypercar to go for around $11.5 million. For anyone with that kind of money to spend, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to add something incredibly special to their garage. However, the car comes with a rather interesting past, even if most of it turned out not to be entirely true.
This particular Koenigsegg One:1s was once reported stolen and hunted by Interpol. The claims stated that a Russian mercenary team had forcibly taken the car from its owner, and there was an international hunt for it.
Unsubstantiated Claims
View this post on Instagram
The story claimed that a Koenigsegg One:1s belonging to former Formula 1 driver Adrian Sutil had been taken from him by the Russian mercenaries known as the Wagner Group. According to the reports, he had been subjected to blackmail, and they had taken a number of his high-value vehicles.
However, the car had never been stolen at all and was reported to have been confiscated by the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office. It had then been released to the leasing firm that owned it.
The truth of the situation turned out to be a lot less dramatic than it first appeared. But it did give the already very unique and highly sought-after hypercar even more renown among those of us with the kind of money to consider that kind of spending.
Still A Seriously Special Car
Despite the rumors of blackmail, mercenaries, and scandal turning out to be hearsay and misinformation, the Koenigsegg One:1s is still a masterpiece.
It features an incredible exposed carbon fiber body that is complemented by eye-catching China Pink accents across the splitter, roof scoop, side skirts, diffuser, and active rear wing. According to Egg Registry, this was in keeping with the rest of the original owner’s collection.
Sotheby’s has not mentioned anything about it on its page. Rather than focus on its controversies, they have highlighted the absolute craftsmanship that has gone into this one of six hypercars.