The Koenisegg Jesko Set Two New Production Car Speed Records
Six years in, Koenigsegg continues to push Jesko to new heights.
The Swedish hypercarHypercarAn extreme, limited-production performance car that sits above supercars in power, technology, price, and exclusivity, often featuring hybrid powertrains and advanced aerodynamics. Hypercars act as rolling engineering showcases, and modelsGo to Hypercar Glossary specialists announced that the longest-running member of its lineup just added two more records to its list of accomplishments. It appears that we may have been underestimating the Jesko after all these years.
The automaker announced the latest marks in a video posted to YouTube over the weekend. The clip’s description states that new production car speed records for the quarter and half mile were set by the high-performance Jesko Absolut variant at the company’s airfield in Ängelholm, Sweden, on June 6, the country’s National Day.
With factory driver Markus Lundh behind the wheel, the Jesko Absolut was able to cover the quarter mile, or 1,320 feet, in 8.54 seconds at 190 mph. In doing so, the Jesko Absolut became the first production car to surpass 300 km/h, or 186 mph, in the quarter mile. Lundh wasn’t done, though. He continued on in the hypercar, reaching the half mile, or 2,640 feet, in 12.76 seconds at 232 mph.
Making the Jesko’s records even more impressive is the fact that the vehicle is powered by a 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8. Yes, that mill can produce up to 1,280 hp on standard fuel and 1,600 hp on E85 bio fuel, but it doesn’t need any electric assistance to do so.. The only cars in the same neighborhood as the Jesko when it comes to quarter- and half-mile performance are the Rimac Nevera R and the McMurtry Spéirling, both of which feature multi-motor electric powertrains.
The EVs are quicker than the Jesko Absolut, but not as fast, according to Road & Track. The Nevera R, which has all-wheel drive, covers the quarter mile in 7.90 seconds but only at a speed of 186 mph. The Spéirling, meanwhile, covers the same distance in 7.97 seconds at 190 mph, but that’s its top speed, meaning it wouldn’t be able to keep up for the half mile.
So, how was Koenigsegg able to get even more performance out of the Jesko than we’ve seen up until now. It would appear that a new software update deserves the credit for the vehicle’s latest amazing feats. The new software will soon be available to all 125 owners of the $4 million hypercarHypercarAn extreme, limited-production performance car that sits above supercars in power, technology, price, and exclusivity, often featuring hybrid powertrains and advanced aerodynamics. Hypercars act as rolling engineering showcases, and modelsGo to Hypercar Glossary via over-the-air update.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut set new production-car records for both the quarter mile and half mile, completing the quarter mile in 8.54 seconds at 190 mph and the half mile in 12.76 seconds at 232 mph.
The Jesko Absolut can exceed 232 mph in the half mile and is designed to be Koenigsegg’s fastest production car, with a projected top speed well beyond 300 mph.
The hypercar is powered by a 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 producing up to 1,280 hp on standard gasoline and 1,600 hp when running on E85 biofuel.
While electric hypercars such as the Rimac Nevera R and McMurtry Spéirling accelerate quicker over the quarter mile, the Jesko Absolut achieves higher speeds and remains one of the fastest gasoline-powered production cars ever built.
Koenigsegg will build just 125 examples of the Jesko, including the track-focused Attack and high-speed Absolut variants, making it one of the world’s rarest hypercars.
This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.