Koenigsegg Jesko debuts in Geneva – 5.0L twin-turbo V8; 1,600 hp, 1,500 Nm; Light Speed Transmission

This crazy looking thing is the new Koenigsegg Jesko, and it is the latest megacar from the Swedish carmaker that serves as a direct successor to the Agera. If the name sounds a little curious, that’s because the Jesko is named after Jesko von Koenigsegg, the father of company founder and CEO, Christian von Koenigsegg.

Why? Well, Jesko (the human) was instrumental in the formative years of Koenigsegg Automotive, as his business acumen helped to guide the company through many early challenges. The namesake vehicle therefore serves as a tribute to the man’s contributions, and is another initiative in which Christian shows his appreciation.

Fun fact: Koenigsegg relocated to its present location and headquarters following a fire in the company’s original premises in 2003. Its current 4,000 square metre facility was once home to the Swedish Air Force’s Fighter Jet Squadron No. 1 before the squadron was retired from service. As a tribute to the Squadron, the squadron’s insignia, a flying ghost, now adorns the engine bay of all Koenigsegg cars built at the facility, including the Jesko.

The overall design has echoes of the Agera but with modern revisions to give it an identity of its own. For instance, the headlamps are slimmer and bear semblance to those on the Regera, while the dip between the taillights appears more elegant and fluid compared to the Agera.

Elsewhere, the wrapround windscreen has more of a “fighter jet” stance as a result of the dimensional changes – the Jesko is actually 30 mm taller and 40 mm longer than the Agera. The increased footprint is said to allow for better ingress and egress, as well as more spacious cabin and better visibility.

It’s impossible not to miss the numerous aerodynamic features that are present on the Jesko, which include a new front splitter, rear diffuser and rear wing derived from the One:1. These primary areas form the core of an active aerodynamics and airflow package that aims to maximise downforce while minimising drag.

Finer details include integrated active flaps underneath the front splitter, vented areas over the front wheels and side mirrors that generate up to 20 kg of downforce. In its most aggressive aerodynamic setting, the Jesko can generate 40% more downforce compared to the Agera RS – 800 kg at 250 km/h or 1,000 kg at 275 km/h, before reaching a maximum of 1,400 kg.

Moving inside using the dihedral synchro-helix doors, you’ll find premium materials like leather, Alcantara, carbon-fibre, aluminium and glass. It isn’t as performance-focused as you might expect, as things like powered seats, a nine-inch SmartCenter infotainment system, five-inch SmartCluster digital display instrument cluster and SmartWheel steering wheel – the last item has context sensitive touch displays on the spokes.

While the exterior and interior designs are a highlight on their own, it is the Jesko’s powertrain that really commands your attention. A redesigned 5.0 litre twin-turbo V8 now utilises a lightweight (12.5 kg) flat-plane 180-degree crankshaft, along with new connecting rods and pistons to counter the greater vibration that comes with a flat-plane design.

Koenigsegg then focused on reducing turbo lag by fitting an air injection system that consists of a small electric compressor driving air from a 20-litre carbon-fibre tank linked directly to the two turbos.

The system essentially uses a timed, 20-bar burst of air strategically aimed within the turbo housing to pre-spool the two large turbos, eliminating turbo lag while providing instant response before the exhaust gases take over to power the turbos. This air injection system is also useful to quickly get the car’s catalytic converters up to operating temperature on vehicle start-up, as an emissions reduction measure.

There’s more too, as the fuel injection system now boasts an additional fuel injector per cylinder, making the Jesko the first to adopt this setup. The third injector is found on the intake plenum, which injects fuel directly above the intake trumpets for each cylinder for added aeration. This makes for a much cooler cylinder, cleaner combustion and less strain on the engine at higher speeds.

All these technologies result in a V8 that revs up to 8,500 rpm, and will generate 1280 hp on regular petrol, or 1600 hp with E85 fuel. Maximum torque has also increased to 1,500 Nm at 5,100 rpm, with over 1,000 Nm available anywhere between 2,700 to 6,170 rpm.

If the nerdy details about the engine still isn’t enough to get you excited, maybe the Jesko’s Light Speed Transmission (LST) will do the trick. Designed completely in-house at Koenigsegg, it is a nine-speed unit that uses seven clutches to allow you to make changes between any gear almost instantly.

As the company explains, typical dual-clutch transmissions (DCT) have one clutch for even numbered gears and another for odd numbered gears. When driving, one clutch is engaged while the control unit preselects what is anticipates either a higher or lower gear. Unfortunately, this means you can only change to adjacent gears, following a sequential format.

With Koenigsegg’s LST, you can change to any gear you fancy regardless of the gear’s relationship to the current one, which the company is calling Ultimate Power on Demand. For example, let’s say you’re driving only in seventh and would like fourth. The LST will allow you to shift directly from the current to the desired gear at “lightning speed.” A traditional DCT would need the driver to shift through sixth and fifth gears before reaching fourth.

Operating the transmission is done via steering wheel paddles or the gear lever, both featuring a double-notch shifting mechanism. The first notch shifts one gear up or down, while the second notch engages Ultimate Power on Demand. If that isn’t enough benefits for you, the LST weighs just 90 kg compared to DCTs that weight up to 140 kg.

In terms of suspension and handling, the Jesko is built around a carbon-fibre monocoque, with a tub that is 40 mm and 20 mm longer than before, while retaining its industry-best torsional rigidity of 65,000 Nm per degree. Assembled in Angelholm, Sweden, the monocoque employs a carbon-fibre and aluminium sandwich construction with integrated fuel tanks, rollover bars and reinforcement using Dyneema – the strongest fibre in the world.

To cope with the 1,420 kg curb weight and the downforce generated, the car rides on Koenigsegg’s Triplex Suspension system that was first developed for the Agera. The setup employs a third, horizontal damper at the rear so the car is able to capable of countering the effects of squat under hard acceleration. On the Jesko, a second Triplex unit is used in the front suspension to keep the front of the car level.

Other technologies include active rear steering, active engine mounts and the ability to fit carbon-fibre wheels in place of forged aluminium ones. The new carbon wheels are larger than those on the Agera, measuring 20 inches at the front and 21 inches at the rear, while weighing 5.9 and 7.4 kg respectively. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres come as standard, with the new Pilot Sport Cup 2 R being optional.

Koenigsegg hasn’t provided a list of performance figures but we reckon it’ll be rather quick compared to the competition. If not, Christian has already said during his presentation in Geneva that an even faster version of the Jesko is on its way, one with less focus on downforce and more on top speed. He’s calling it the Jesko 300, which points to a car that’ll break the 300 mph, or 483 km/h barrier. What a world we live in.

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Learn more: 2019 Geneva Motor Show