Koenigsegg Aims for Speed Record

Jesko Absolut: Chosen Weapon

The Koenigsegg Jesko was introduced in 2021 bringing a fervent promise. Furnished with a E85-fueled, twin-turbo V8 generator capable of 1,600 hp and downforce rating of just 0.278, it is on the cusp of achieving more than 300 mph which would be quicker than its sibling the Agera RS.

Sweden’s legendary carmaker hasn’t declined the concept of crowning a new speed champion. A trio of pictures on Instagram highlighted the Agera RST, formally recognized as the Agera RSN, fueled by the powerplant from the Koenigsegg One:1.

The caption of the recent social media post by Koenigsegg had us intrigued. It mentioned the Agera RS and its impressive speed records. The post ended with a teasing promise that the Jesko “will challenge these records in due time.” We can’t wait to see what the new car has to offer!

“There’s no timeline set in stone, yet it’s definitely going to happen, albeit the last,” Christian Von Koenigsegg of Koenigsegg Automotive AB declared to CarBuzz. He added that the Jesko Absolut will be the company’s “final attempt” at achieving a top speed record.

So, what speed records will the Jesko Absolut attempt to break? Maintaining the rivalry within the family, Koenigsegg referred to the Agera RS when it set five world records back in 2017. One of them was a two-way top speed record set by a production car: 277.87 mph – a record that, according to Koenigsegg, “has not yet been surpassed by any production-spec homologated road car.”

Not to be forgotten, the 0-400-0 km/h record has recently been obliterated by the Regera. This decade-old hypercar, who was utilizing new Michelin Cup 2 R tires for its endeavor, managed to finish the trial in a remarkable 28.81 seconds, thus usurping the former crown from the Rimac Nevera’s 29.93 second performance one month earlier.

The upcoming attempt of the Jesko Absolut to make its way into the list of the world’s fastest cars is sure to be met with some contention. After all, the list has seen its fair share of questionable members, such as the “near-production Bugatti Chiron prototype” and its single-direction run; or the SSC Tuatara’s infamous-then-later-proved-but-slower run. Not to mention the non-eligible Hennessey Venom GT (it didn’t have a Hennessey VIN), which the eligible Venom F5 later redeemed but has yet to prove its claimed 311-mph top speed.

Competition is going to be fierce, yet it should not be discounted that Koenigsegg hopes to break the 330 mph top speed record with the Jesko Absolut. Thus, it is reasonable to presume that the very upmarket performance car will cause the bar to raise significantly upon its arrival on the trial track.

“This vehicle is capable of remarkable speeds,” Koenigsegg stated to CarBuzz, “and we are likely to be limited more by the road and the driver’s willingness than by the car itself.”