GUTTER CREDITSon november 4, 2017, racer Niklas Lilja posi-
tioned himself behind the wheel of a Koenigsegg
Agera RS and, on a closed portion of public road
near Pahrump, Nev., piloted it to 277.87 mph—the
current record for fastest production car. It was a
crowning achievement for the Swedish marque,
and its 47-year-old namesake is not ready to lose
the throne.
“Every single detail of a Koenigsegg car is
measured against our continuing goal to enhance
vehicle performance,” says founder and CEO
Christian von Koenigsegg. His latest exploration
of automotive limits was a journey that brought
him to Jesko.
The $2.8 million model—limited to 125
examples—looks like an alien landing craft and
carries an otherworldly power train. “The V-8
produces 1,280 hp on regular gasoline and an
astonishing 1,600 hp on E85 biofuel,” says Koe-
nigsegg. The 5.0-liter twin-turbo beast—producing
1,106 ft lbs of torque—also benefits from a crank-
shaft that weighs a mere 27 pounds (about half
that of standard V-8 crankshafts).
Equally impressive is the car’s transmission.
Unlike dual-clutch configurations, which have
to cycle through gear selections sequentially, this
one relies on the automaker’s Ultimate Poweron Demand system, a program that identifies
the gear needed for ideal acceleration (based on
engine and vehicle dynamics) regardless of the
current one selected. In other words, it can drop
directly from eighth to fifth if that will give the
biggest boost when foot hits the floor. No small
feat, according to Koenigsegg: “One of the great-
est challenges was to construct a gearbox—from
the ground up—that could match the most power-
ful production engine in the world. It’s a 9-speed
multi-clutch unit that does away with traditional
synch rings and makes changes between any gear
possible at near light speed.”
Since the Jesko—set to begin production in
the fourth quarter of 2020—is also expected to
move the needle past 300 mph, new aerodynamic
accents (such as a redesigned rear wing) make
possible 2,204 pounds of downforce. That’s a 40
percent increase from the Agera RS. Whether the
car can—or will—defend its predecessor’s title
against the likes of the Hennessey Venom F5 and
SSC Tuatara is still to be seen, but its pedigree
makes that contest highly probable. “An impor-
tant part of the inspiration comes from my father,
Jesko von Koenigsegg, who the car is named
after,” explains its creator. “Koenigsegg would not
be the company it is today if it wasn’t for his expe-
rience, support and hard work. It’s about being
competitive and breaking barriers.”JESKO
Koenigsegg
Automotive AB
102 AUGUST 2019
on november 4, 2017, racer Niklas Lilja posi-
tioned himself behind the wheel of a Koenigsegg
Agera RS and, on a closed portion of public road
near Pahrump, Nev., piloted it to 277.87 mph—the
current record for fastest production car. It was a
crowning achievement for the Swedish marque,
and its 47-year-old namesake is not ready to lose
the throne.
“Every single detail of a Koenigsegg car is
measured against our continuing goal to enhance
vehicle performance,” says founder and CEO
Christian von Koenigsegg. His latest exploration
of automotive limits was a journey that brought
him to Jesko.
The $2.8 million model—limited to 125
examples—looks like an alien landing craft and
carries an otherworldly power train. “The V-8
produces 1,280 hp on regular gasoline and an
astonishing 1,600 hp on E85 biofuel,” says Koe-
nigsegg. The 5.0-liter twin-turbo beast—producing
1,106 ft lbs of torque—also benefits from a crank-
shaft that weighs a mere 27 pounds (about half
that of standard V-8 crankshafts).
Equally impressive is the car’s transmission.
Unlike dual-clutch configurations, which have
to cycle through gear selections sequentially, this
one relies on the automaker’s Ultimate Poweron Demand system, a program that identifies
the gear needed for ideal acceleration (based on
engine and vehicle dynamics) regardless of the
current one selected. In other words, it can drop
directly from eighth to fifth if that will give the
biggest boost when foot hits the floor. No small
feat, according to Koenigsegg: “One of the great-
est challenges was to construct a gearbox—from
the ground up—that could match the most power-
ful production engine in the world. It’s a 9-speed
multi-clutch unit that does away with traditional
synch rings and makes changes between any gear
possible at near light speed.”
Since the Jesko—set to begin production in
the fourth quarter of 2020—is also expected to
move the needle past 300 mph, new aerodynamic
accents (such as a redesigned rear wing) make
possible 2,204 pounds of downforce. That’s a 40
percent increase from the Agera RS. Whether the
car can—or will—defend its predecessor’s title
against the likes of the Hennessey Venom F5 and
SSC Tuatara is still to be seen, but its pedigree
makes that contest highly probable. “An impor-
tant part of the inspiration comes from my father,
Jesko von Koenigsegg, who the car is named
after,” explains its creator. “Koenigsegg would not
be the company it is today if it wasn’t for his expe-
rience, support and hard work. It’s about being
competitive and breaking barriers.”JESKO
Koenigsegg
Automotive AB
102 AUGUST 2019