The Koenigsegg Jesko isn’t the most efficient vehicle out there … except when it comes to setting records.
The futuristic hypercar’s Absolut variant closed out June on a high note, breaking the 0-400-0-km/h world record. The new mark, which was one of four set on the run, firmly establishes the vehicle as one of the fastest in the world.
The records were set at an airfield in Örebro, Sweden, in the early hours of Thursday, June 27. On the run, the Jesko Absolut, which was piloted by Koenigsegg test driver Markus Lundh, went from zero to 400 km/h, or 249 mph, and back to zero in just 27.83 seconds. That beat the previous mark, which was set by a Koenigsegg Regera last year, by nearly a full second. To make things more impressive, Lundh didn’t decelerate as soon as soon he hit 400 km/h, instead reaching a top speed of 412 km/h, or 256 mph. In addition to breaking the record for 0-400-0-km/h time, the car also broke the marks for fastest 0 to 400 km/h time (18.82 seconds), fastest 0-250-0 mph time (28.27 seconds), and fastest 0 to 250mph time (19.2 seconds).
As impressive as the Jekso Absolut’s records may be, they shouldn’t come as too much of a shock. The track-focused variant, which costs $3.4 million, was designed and engineered to set records. It’s powered by the same twin-turbo V-8 as the regular Jesko, but has an even more aerodynamic body that includes to fighter jet-style wings.
And, as far as founder Christian von Koenigsegg is concerned, the Jesko Absolut isn’t done yet. It sounds like the executive would also like to prove that the vehicle’s claimed 330 mph top speed, which would comfortably make it the world’s fastest production vehicle, is actually possible.
“This record run validated the accuracy of the simulated and calculated performance of the Jesko Absolut, which gives us great confidence in its ability to be the fastest, fully homologated production car in the world,” he said in a statement. “Now it is all down to tire testing, development, and approval, before we finally can make an attempt at that record.”
Of course, new speed records aren’t the only reason the Jesko has been in the news of late. Last month, Koenigsegg issued a “do not drive” order for the vehicle after a bespoke example burst into flame while its owner was driving it in a supercar rally in Greece last month. The company has since identified a compromised hydraulic hose as the source of the blaze. As a result, the company has pledged to checking hoses on all production Jesko models and is working on a software update that will be able to detect such leaks in the future.
