With the Agera discontinued in 2018, Koenigsegg entered 2019 with only one vehicles in its catalog, the hybrid Regera. But the Swedish company acted fast and unveiled a replacement for the Agera at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. It's called the Jesko and Koenigsegg claims it will hit more than 300 mph!

Why is it called the Jesko?

Before we move further, let's find out why this new megacar is called the Jesko. Because let's face it, it's a rather unusual name. Well, this supercar was named after Jesko von Koenigsegg, the father of company Founder and CEO, Christian von Koenigsegg. The Swedish firm says Jesko helped steer the ocmpany through many challenges in its early years. Now retired and in his 80s, Jesko von Koenigsegg witnessed his namesake vehicle break cover in front of a big crowd in Geneva.

Aggressive, Yet familiar design

The Jesko may be all-new, but it looks familiar when compared to the Agera. It features the same mid-engined layout, a canopy-style roof with the windscreen placed just above the front wheels, and a short, pointy nose. The Agera was already incredibly aerodynamic, so Koenigsegg opted not to mess with the recipe. Toward the back, we can see a massive rear wing extending from a fin "glued" to the engine cover. This design reminds me of Le Mans prototype race cars and makes the Jesko look pretty cool.

Koenigsegg’s patented dihedral synchro-helix door design carries over, but it has been re-engineered to have a better opening angle for easier ingress and egress as well as better protection from high curbs. The Jesko can be fitted with a new range of carbon-fibre wheels. Koenigsegg claims they are the lightest and strongest production wheels of their size. Measuring 20 and 21 inches front and rear, they tip the scales at only 5.9 and 7.4 kg (13 and 16.3 pounds), respectively.

Driver-focused, technology-packed interior

The Jesko's interior looks relatively simple. The dashboard is as clean as they get, while the center stack and console are thin and feature only a few controls. The infotainment system includes a five-inch SmartCluster digital screen mounted on the steering wheel and a nine-inch central display. The new SmartWheel steering wheel features two small touchscreens with haptic controls for access to phone, audio, and the vehicle's lift system.

The SmartCenter infotainment gives you access to connectivity, media playback, and vehicle comfort and control systems. Other interior amenities include USB inputs, inductive phone charging, Bluetooth connectivity, automated climate control, bird’s eye view parking assistance, digital warning system, electric adjustment for the mirrors, seats and windows, adjustable pedals and steering, and parking sensors. Just like the Agera before it, the Jesko comes standard with leather or Alcantara upholstery, contrast stitching, and polished aluminum trim.

Redesigned V-8 Engine and Innovative Gearbox

The Jesko features a twin-turbo, 5.0-liter V-8 engine, just like the Agera and Regera, but the unit was redesigned. It now includes the world's lightest production cranks shaft (at only 12.5 kg or 27.5 pounds) and cranks out 1,262 horsepower on standard gasoline and up to 1,578 horses on E85 biofuel. That's 99 horsepower more than the Bugatti Chiron. Torque is rated at 738 pound-feet, which is impressive but no less than 442 pound-feet below the Chiron.

The really big news here comes from the transmission department. The Jesko marks the debut of Koenigsegg's new nine-speed multi-clutch gearbox, which does away with traditional synch rings and changes between any gear really quick. In the company's own words, if you are in 7th gear and 4th gear is the optimal gear for maximum acceleration, the gearbox will allow you to shift directly from 7th to 4th without waiting for synchronisation. In a traditional dual-clutch transmission you would have to shift through 6th and 5th gears before getting into 4th, losing both time and momentum.

This new transmission is also lighter than traditional DCTs. While the latter can tip the scales at up to 140 kg (308 pounds), this multi-clutch unit weighs only 90 kg (198 pounds, including wet clutches, flywheel, fluids, starter motor and oil pumps.

Other new features include active rear-wheel steering, a redesigned carbon-fiber chassis, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires as standard. These are the same tires that were used on the Agera RS to set 5 world speed records.

The World's First 300-mph car?

Koenigsegg clams that the Jesko is capable of hitting over 300 mph in simulations. This has yet to be tested in real life though, so for the time being the Jesko can't make any claims in this department. But the record is already in Koenigsegg's possession, as the Agera RS hit an average 277 mph in 2017. If the Jesko manages to hit 300 mph, it will be the first production car to get past this benchmark. Unless Hennessey gets there first with the Venom F5, that is!

2020 Koenigsegg Jesko drivetrain specifications

Engine

Koenigsegg twin turbo aluminium 5,0L V8, 4 valves per cylinder, flat-plane crankshaft, double overhead camshafts, dry sump lubrication

Compression: 8.6:1

Bore: 92 mm Stroke: 95.25 mm

Sequential, multipoint fuel injection with individual cylinder pressure sensors and back pressure sensors

Closed loop individual combustion and lambda control, twin ceramic ball bearing turbo chargers with Koenigsegg response system.

1.7 bar boost pressure (2.2 bar with E85)

Dry sump lubrication. Carbon fiber intake manifold with optimised intake tracts

Tig-welded ceramic coated 0.8 mm wall thickness inconel exhaust system manifold with merge collector

Total engine weight: 189 kg

OUTPUT

Gasoline: 955 kW (1280 hp) at 7800 rpm, redline at 8500 rpm.

E85: 1195 kW (1600 hp)

Torque: 1000 Nm from 2700 to 6170 rpm

Max torque: 1500 Nm at 5100 rpm

Dimensions

Total length: 4610mm

Total width: 2030mm

Total height: 1210mm

Ride Height: 70-100mm front, 75-100mm rear

Front lifting system activated: +50mm

Wheelbase: 2700mm

Fuel capacity: 72 litres

Luggage compartments: 100 l front, 50 l rear

Dry weight: 1320kg

Curb weight: 1420kg


Further Reading

Read our in-depth review of the 2017 Koenigsegg Regera

Check out our full review of the 2010 Koenigsegg Agera

Check out our full review of the 2015 Koenigsegg One:1