Koenigsegg Stuns The World With New 300MPH Jesko Hypercar

Koenigsegg has finally revealed the replacement of the Agera RS and its name is Jesko, as a tribute to Christian Koenigsegg’s father.

The new Swedish hypercar is capable of reaching 300mph (482km/h), according to Koenigsegg’s own simulations, thanks to a heavily modified twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 that can produce up to 1,578hp (1,600PS) on E85.

Christian even kept the new hypercar’s name a secret from his father until the last moment, when they revealed the new Jesko at the Geneva Motor Show. Jesko von Koenigsegg is a key presence within the company, helping Christian establish Koenigsegg as one of the leaders in the supercar world.

The revised V8 engine now features a flat-plane 180-degree crankshaft that’s 5kg lighter and allows it to rev up to 8,500rpm and produce more power and an “even more visceral sound”. The two turbochargers are connected directly to a small electric compressor, which drives air to them from a 20-liter air tank (made out of carbon fiber of course). Koenigsegg claims that thanks to this feature, turbo lag is eliminated, providing instant response and massive boost before the exhaust gasses take over in spinning those turbos.

When running on 95-octane unleaded, Jesko’s beast of an engine produces 1,262hp (1,280PS) but give it some E85 and it will make 1,578hp (1,600PS) and 1,106lb-ft (1,500Nm) of peak torque, with over 737lb-ft available anywhere between 2,700rpm and 6,170rpm.

Then, there’s the transmission; Koenigsegg calls it the Light Speed Transmission, a nine-speed multiclutch unit designed in-house that doesn’t feature traditional synch rings at all. This allows it to change between any gear at “near light speed”.

Unlike the more traditional DCTs in the market, Koenigsegg’s LST unit allows direct changes between gears, regardless of that gear’s relationship to the current one. For example, it can shift from 7th to 4th directly -and at lighting speed apparently- without waiting for synchronisation. The whole transmission weighs just 90kg, complete with wet clutches, flywheel, fluids, starter motor and oil pumps, making it far lighter than any DCT gearbox out there.

The Koenigsegg Jesko’s carbon tub is 40mm longer and 22mm higher than that in the Agera RS in order to give it more space inside the cabin. The chassis is fitted with a Triplex damper at the front, preventing the car from squatting under acceleration at the rear and keeping it level at all times, in addition to the traditional Ohlins dampers, as well as a rear-wheel steering system for the first time.

The carbon-fiber wheels are Koenigsegg’s lightest yet, with the front 20-inch items weighing 5.9kg each and the rear 21-inch ones at 7.7kg. Koenigsegg claims that thanks to the huge front splitter and the even more enormous boomerang-like rear wing, the Jesko can produce around 800kg of downforce at 155mph, 1,000kg at 171mph and 1,400kg at its top speed. There will be a lower-downforce version in the future, which is the one with the 300mph potential.

The bodywork is also fitted with Koenigsegg’s Autoskin system, a range of mini hydraulic actuators that can operate everything from the aero-kit elements to the dihedral doors and hoods, enabling a touchless entry. The system is operated through the car’s remote control.

In addition, the interior features a steering wheel with two small touchscreen displays with haptic feedback and a new compact 5-inch SmartCluster digital instrument binnacle.

Koenigsegg will produce just 125 Jesko hypercars, with an annual production output of around 40 to 50 examples. Prices are expected to start from $3 million before taxes but then again, you wouldn’t expect it to be cheap, would you?

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