The Koenigsegg Jesko is the next generation of cars from the Swedish manufacturer, revealed to an off-guard crowd and press pool last week at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, to replace their current range of Agera-based supercars.
Named after founder and CEO Christian von Koenigsegg’s father, who played a vital role in getting the supercar maker on its feet during its infancy, the Jesko is at once extremely familiar but also quite alien from the standpoint of what we’re used to seeing from Ängelholm.
For one, the Jesko adopts a more extreme aerodynamic philosophy over its predecessors. Where cars like the hybrid Regera featured clean lines and very fluid contours, this one makes no bones about the high priority of generating downforce with an actively extendable rear wing sprouting from the rear desk a-la the One:1 megacar.
It’s also more pronounced than that found on the One:1 and made more obvious as the Jesko features a larger passenger cell with the seating positions placed more centrally within the wheelbase, surrounded by a more wraparound cockpit, giving the illusion of a smaller footprint when the Jesko both taller and longer than the Agera.
Thanks to a liberal transfer of aerodynamic tech from the One:1, each vanilla Jesko claims to generate a whopping 40 percent more maximum downforce (1,400kg) compared to the racier Agera RS. And to pair with the car’s exceptional cornering ability, an all-new twin-turbo V8.
Koenigsegg, as was the case for all its cars starting with the CCX, the Jesko’s powertrain is bespoke, built according to the company’s own design and specifications. The 5.0-litre eight-cylinder’s block is largely similar to the unit used in its predecessor, though it most notably adds a 180-degree flat-plane crankshaft.
In addition to larger turbochargers, new intake system, and an innovative 20-bar air injection system to pre-spool the turbos, Koenigsegg claims the new V8 will produce up to 1,193kW when running on E85 petrol while regular ‘pump gas’ will yield 954kW. Torque while on E85, is rated at reality-bending 1,500Nm due to the temperature-lowering part-ethanol composition allowing for more boost to be used.
The flat-plane crank guarantees the higher 8,500rpm rev limit and the unique even-firing soundtrack that Koenigsegg wants to be associated with, and the higher vibration levels of such an engine is counteracted by the active engine mounts Koenigsegg first deployed in the Regera. Each crankshaft is also precision milled from single solid billet of high tensile Swedish Dievar steel that, in conjunction with the super lightweight connecting rods and pistons, endows the Jesko with incredible response.
Unfortunately for the car’s rear wheels, all that power is still sent exclusively to the rear wheels, but done so through a very special new kind of gearbox that Koenigsegg is calling the LST (Light Speed Transmission). Made to be quicker shifting and far lighter than a dual-clutch, the 9-speed LST leverages a multi-clutch solution that allows for non-sequential gear changes.
It does away with traditional synchronisation rings and allows the car to engage any gear at any time, regardless of its relationship to engine speed, road speed, and internal rotation. In theory, the car could be at a cruise in top gear and instantly shift to 4th gear if it determines that to be the best gear for hard acceleration given the conditions.
This achieved by the new double-notch shift mechanism designed into the steering wheel paddles and central shifter that, when engaged, automatically shifts the car into the optimum gear for acceleration, as opposed to flipping the transmission down sequentially.
Though it may be the most aerodynamically extreme car to come out of Koenigsegg, the Jesko is positioned to be their new ‘mainstream’ model, replacing the aforementioned Agera. As such, the car is also meant to be more daily drivable than, say, the One:1.
Its door open with the same hydraulic dihedral mechanism as before, revealing a cabin that not only can be transformed by removing the carbon fibre roof, but blends a lightweight philosophy with premium materials such as leather and Alcantara. Modern amenities are on offer, including automatic climate control, park assist, touchscreen infotainment, and even multiple USB inputs and inductive phone charging.
