Christian Von Koenigsegg sits at the helm of the Swedish automobile company Koenigsegg, which specializes in the production of limited-series high-performance vehicles. His cars need little introduction and include powerhouses like the Agera RS and the Regera that currently rank among the fastest production cars ever made. Judging by current indicators, though, they are both going to be upstaged by the upcoming Koenigsegg Jesko. The hypercar, named after Christian’s father, was first unveiled at the 2019 Geneva Auto Show and joins a growing list of Koenigsegg supercars.
The Jesko is billed as a high-performance track car that places emphasis on high aerodynamic downforce and precise handling. There will be 125 units of the Jesko with each priced at about $3 million, and yes, the car is all sold out. Here then, are some of the features that the lucky customers will enjoy once they get their hands on their Jesko hypercar.
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Dihedral Synchro-Helix Doors
It is a trademark feature of Koenigsegg cars and not only do they sound and look cool, but they are also quite practical. The dihedral doors come with a unique hinge mechanism that allows the doors to rotate 90° by sweeping outwards and upwards. The idea behind this design is to allow the doors to open high enough to avoid curbs, but low enough to avoid garage ceilings.
It also reduces the space taken up by the swing radius of more conventional doors, allowing you to park much closer to other cars without worrying about entry and egress.
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The Most Powerful Production V8
Koenigsegg has favored a custom-made V8 engine setup for his upcoming hypercar. One of its most impressive features is the crankshaft, made from a single solid-steel billet. It weighs only 28 pounds, currently making it the world’s lightest crankshaft ever fitted to a production car.
The 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged engine has been tweaked to generate up to 1,280 hp and 1,106 lb-ft of torque running on standard gasoline. That power output increases up to 1,603 hp on special E85 fuel, though that is not as readily available.
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Koenigsegg Light Speed Transmission
Unlike the Regera, there is no Direct Drive system for the Jesko. In its place is something called the Koenigsegg Light Speed Transmission (LST). It is a 9-speed system that’s designed such that it does not need to shift through gears like the more traditional dual-clutch automatic.
For example, the driver can flip from the ninth gear to the second gear without having to go through every gear in-between. The Koenigsegg LST feeds all the power from the engine to the rear wheels only.
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Rear-Wheel Steering
The Jesko is billed as the ultimate hypercar that can take the fight to rivals out on the racetracks and challenge for supremacy. However, Mr. Koenigsegg also knows that most of his clients will never take their Jeskos out to race and that’s why it’s also been designed to be as road-friendly as possible.
One of the features in this regard is active rear-wheel steering that helps improve responsiveness and stability at both high and low speeds. It reduces the car’s turning circle and maneuverability since, at low speeds, the rear wheels can turn in an opposite direction to the ones in front.
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Active Rear Wing
That rear wing is arguably one of the most striking features of the car’s external design. It forms part of the overall aerodynamic package, one that also includes the aggressive front splitter and rear diffuser.
It is massive and working with the other aerodynamic elements, can generate up to 3,000 pounds of downforce at speed. It plays a significant part in keeping the car planted on the road as it goes through high-speed driving maneuvers.
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Autoskin Feature
This is a pretty neat feature that first made its appearance on the Regera and will now also be present on the Jesko. The function is based on a robotized mechanism that, at the touch of a single button, will open or close all the doors and body panels on the car.
Weight savings is an important consideration here and in the Regera, the hydraulics, sensors and soft-close mechanisms all add less than 11 pounds to the total weight. You can expect something similar or even better weight savings with the Jesko.
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Detachable Hardtop
You can drive the Jesko like a fixed-roof coupe, completely ensconced and covered up in the cabin. However, there are times when you want to enjoy the pleasures of open-air driving and Koenigsegg has got that covered as well.
The Jesko’s lightweight hardtop is completely detachable, allowing the driver to enjoy the wind and the sonorous note of the V8 engine. It is crucial to check the weather before setting out on your trip though as the Jesko’s roof can’t be stowed in the boot space (except in the Jesko Absolut) and will have to be left behind.
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Interior Layout
The Jesko is a full-on hardcore performance machine but the inside is still pretty much decked out to give the impression of premium luxury. The car is equipped with a comprehensive suite of creature comforts and a level of convenience that may have you thinking you are sat in a grand tourer rather than a high-performance track car.
Extensive customization options are also available and the customer can select from materials like leather and Alcantara to create a truly personalized feel for the cabin.
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SmartWheel And SmartCentre
These features form the heart of the car’s infotainment system and come with new driver controls using touchscreen technology. The SmartWheel gets 2 touch screens embedded on the car’s steering wheel and gives the driver access to various options like audio controls, ride height, and cruise control with just a touch or swipe.
There’s a 9-inch SmartCentre screen that serves as the interface for various vehicle setups and lets the drive monitoring features such as traction control, ESP, tire pressure monitoring, and more. The driver can also use the screen to check out the electronic manual that comes pre-installed on the car.
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Naked Carbon Fibre Body
This naked carbon fiber is a Jesko option that takes the hypercar indulgence to new levels of absurdity. It costs about $440,000, more than the price of 2 Ferrari Portofinos, and is one of the most expensive options you can have from any car manufacturer today. It involves an elaborate process that swaps out conventional paint with a fully exposed naked carbon fiber body.
According to Koenigsegg, it is extremely labor-intensive where the thin layer of epoxy that usually covers autoclaved cured carbon pieces is painstakingly removed by hand polishing, resulting in “a more metallic graphite appearance”. However, if naked carbon is not your style, don’t worry. Koenigsegg has several other options, like the Cherry Red pictured above.
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