24
evs
super
*No, the Jesko is not an
EV. But it’s beyond super
and more than worthy of
kicking off our New and
Future party. Read ahead
for true mega-EV options.TENSIONS WITH RUSSIA,
political instability in Europe, the
prospect of ecological disaster
and energy crises, and the
dawn of another golden era of
automotive awesomeness with
vehicles on sale now and on the
horizon—you’d be forgiven for
thinking it was the 1950s all over
again. The Cold War is over, true,
and while we still(!) don’t have
our Jetsons flying cars, this year’s
crop of new and future vehicles
would satisfy even the terror-
fueled imagination of a kid who’d
lived through the Red Scare.
If you’ve been keeping up with
the car industry over the past
decade or so, you’ll find familiar
themes throughout this year’s
selection of what we believe
to be the most salient new and
future cars, including autonomous
driving, electric propulsion, and
advanced aerodynamics. But
you’ll also find the realest of the
real of today’s wheels, including a
few examples of the endangered
stick shift, a disproportionate
amount of rear-wheel drive, and
horsepower figures that would,
on occasion, make an early rocket
scientist blush.
To kick it all off, we present
the most over-the-top visions
of the near future from brands
your grandparents may have
known and loved, like Pininfarina,
Hispano-Suiza, and Aston Martin’s
Lagonda, and new outfits you’re
soon to become more familiar
with, like Qiantu and Rivian.
Whether they’re gas-burners or
pure electrics, supercars or SUVs,
every vehicle on our list is a reason
to hope we all get to keep waking
up for many years to come.NEW
AND
FUTURE
CARS
Supercar, hypercar, megacar—
where will it end? If Koenigsegg has
anything to say about it, it’ll end with
the 300-mph Jesko—at least until
the Swedish masterminds decide to
drop their next masterpiece.
Sporting a thoroughly improved,
twin-turbo flat-plane V-8 engine
good for 1,280 hp (1,600 hp on
E85) and an all-new nine-speed
multiclutch, cog-jumping Light
Speed transmission designed entirely
in-house, the Jesko promises not
only incredible track performance
but also brilliant road manners. Its
Triplex suspension, now on both
ends of the car, helps combat squat
during acceleration and maintain ride
height under the more than 2,200
pounds of downforce the Jesko can
generate at speed.
A new carbon-fiber and aluminum
tub that’s slightly longer and
higher than previous Koenigseggs
yields just enough extra head- and
legroom while retaining the insane
rigidity required at the pointy end of
performance. Four-wheel steering
increases agility at low speeds
and stability at high speeds, and
extensive aerodynamics help glueKoenigsegg
Jesko
ON SALE:
Sold out
BASE PRICE:
$2.8 million (est)the Jesko to the asphalt, from the
monstrous rear wing to the deep
splitter and even the wraparound
windshield, which helps reduce lift and
provide clean air to the rear wing.
But it’s the creature comforts that
make the Jesko really outdo the other
Koenigseggs you’ll meet, including a
re-engineered take on the dihedral
synchro-helix door hinge (say that
three times fast) that makes it easier
to get in and out; a cabin swathed
in leather, Alcantara, carbon fiber,
aluminum, and glass; and naturally, a
selection of colors and materials for
nearly anything should the owner
choose. Driver-centric even given its
grand touring intentions, the Jesko
features a fully adjustable seat,
steering column, and pedal box. The
new SmartWheel steering wheel
houses two small touchscreens,
allowing for direct control of audio,
phone, ride height, cruise control, and
more, complete with haptic feedback.
The roughly $3 million Koenigsegg
Jesko was unveiled at the 2019
Geneva show and was sold out of its
entire 125-unit build run before the
show had ended. Better luck with
the next one!