The Koenigsegg Jesko boasts what the automaker claims is the world's fastest-revving production-car engine. In this video produced by the company, founder Christian von Koenigsegg shows exactly what that means.
Hopping into an orange Jesko, von Koenigsegg revs the 5.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 from idle to 7,800 rpm. That's as high as the engine will rev in neutral, but the actual redline is 8,500 rpm when driving. Data from a connected laptop shows the V-8 managed that in 213 milliseconds, which von Koenigsegg claims is faster than any other production engine.
Engineers achieved that rapidity by focusing on minimizing inertia within the engine, von Koenigsegg said. The company's Light Speed Transmission also helps, he noted. The 9-speed gearbox uses seven clutches, allowing the driver to swap between any gear almost instantaneously, while also eliminating the conventional flywheel. That, along with the small size of each individual clutch, further reduces inertia, von Koenigsegg said.
Koenigsegg Jesko pre-production model
Boasting four valves per cylinder, double overhead camshafts, a flat-plane crankshaft, and dry-sump lubrication, the Jesko V-8 produces 1,280 horsepower on regular gas or 1,600 hp on E85 fuel, with 1,106 pound-feet of torque.
Koenigsegg has two versions of the Jesko. Identifiable by its massive rear wing, the Jesko Attack is a high-downforce version that can generate up to 3,000 pounds of downforce, Koenigsegg claims. The Jesko Absolut prioritizes top speed over downforce, and thus ditches the Attack version's rear wing.
Customer deliveries of the Jesko are scheduled to start in 2022, with just 125 cars planned. The entire production run is already sold out despite a $3 million starting price.