Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut: This supercar has a date with 300 mph
This is the fastest Koenigsegg ever and the company doesn't have plans to try and one-up itself.
Last year, Koenigsegg took the 2019 Geneva Motor Show's breath away with the debut of the Jesko supercar. It rocked an appropriately wild design and promised utterly mad performance figures. Yet we never caught a glimpse of a second model the Swedish supercar maker promised. That is, until now.
On Tuesday, the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut debuted as the fastest model ever from the company. It sounds like Koenigsegg may have outdone itself, too, because the carmaker insists this is it. Koenigsegg will never try to make a faster production car after the Jesko Absolut, it declared in the announcement.
The car is surely something incredibly special then, and could perhaps be one for record books. If you'll recall, Koenigsegg previously named this Jesko variant the Jesko 300. The company confirmed to Roadshow that the Jesko Absolut is the final version of what we previously knew as the Jesko 300, though it wouldn't specifically comment on how fast the car will go.
We already know Koenigsegg hopes to have a date with three digits, however: 300 mph.
To get there, the Jesko Absolut features numerous changes compared with the standard car, which Koenigsegg specs for track duty. Work began with a focus on reducing drag. Some of the track-focused Jesko's components were given a rethink with an eye on cutting through the wind. In the end, Koenigsegg ended up with a drag coefficient of 0.278, which makes this supercar seriously slick.
The engineering process also saw the removal of the Jesko massive rear wing in favor of two fins, which the company said take inspiration from an F-15 fighter jet. They look seriously cool, but they're also functional. The fins help direct airflow at the rear and keep the car stable at high speeds. Other changes to the exterior include an elongated rear hood, covered rear wheels and a couple of closed air intakes to help with drag reduction.
What the Jesko Absolut and its track-focused sibling share is a powertrain that cranks out 1,600 horsepower with E85 in the tank. The twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 boasts a trick crankshaft that also sends the engine revving to 8,500 rpm. Power funnels to Koenigsegg's own nine-speed Light Speed Transmission, which is an engineering marvel in its own right. It lacks the need to shift through gears, and instead, can flip to a desired gear in almost no time at all.
Although the supercar will be an absolute rocket, Koenigsegg says there's everyday drivability baked in. For instance, thanks to a revised front suspension with more compact dimensions, owners can stow the roof in the front storage space when needed.
Whether or not this machine rockets to 300 mph remains to be seen. All Koengisegg would say on the matter is that "time will tell" just how fast the Jesko Absolut will go. Yet it sounds like Koenigsegg, based on internal data and simulations, thinks it already knows the answer.
