$6.5m Koenigsegg Jesko debuts, two already sold in Australia

The latest creation from Swedish hypercar maker Koenigsegg – the Jesko – has debuted at the Geneva Motor Show, with it confirmed that two are already headed to our shores.

The Jesko – which is named after company founder Christian von Koenigsegg’s father – will replace the now eight-year-old Agera, with it offering up more power, increased downforce, and even more cutting-edge technology than its predecessor.

Mounted behind the seats is an absolute powerhouse of a 5.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, which on premium unleaded fuel offers up a whopping 941kW. Fill it up at a pump with E85, however, and it’s capable of producing as much as an astonishing 1177kW and 1500Nm. Koenigsegg claims that when making full power, it should be able to achieve a top speed of at least 300mph – that, in kays, is over 480km/h.

In an attempt to eliminate turbo lag, one of the most clever bits of tech it offers up is an air injection system that pre-spools the two big turbos with a 290psi (20 bar) shot of air.

More cutting-edge, however, is its nine-speed transmission. Dubbed the Light Speed Transmission, it shifts like a dual-clutch, but rather than using just two regular clutches, it makes use of seven clutch packs allowing it to engage the current gear and whichever of the remaining eight gears will be best next for acceleration at the time, rather than simply pre-selecting the adjacent gear.

With an incredibly complex aerodynamic setup, the Jesko is able to produce up to 1400kg of downforce – a mere 20kg shy of its overall kerb weight – which causes it to require two triplex dampers, one in the front and one in the rear, in order to manage the squat caused by the car being pushed down to the ground. Meanwhile, the standard, conventional suspension dampers are electronically-adjustable units supplied by Ohlins.

A set of staggered carbon-fibre wheels – measuring 20 x 9.5 inches in the front, and 21 x 12 inches in the rear – are fitted as standard, which come wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, although Michelin Cup R tyres are optionally available. Four-wheel steering is another feature gained over the outgoing Agera, with the system allowing for the rear wheels to turn up to three degrees.

On the inside, it sports a completely redesigned interior with a new 9.0-inch infotainment screen, and a 5.0-inch digital instrument cluster that rotates with the steering wheel. Furthermore, wireless phone charging, a 360-degree camera, and automatic climate control are standard.

With Koenigsegg having recently found a distributor in Australia, two examples out of the 120 planned builds are already destined for our shores, both of which are accounted for already.

That’s despite the Jesko commanding a hefty price of around $6.5 million locally, around half of which is accounted for by various taxes. Speaking with CarAdvice, the local distributor mentioned plans to expand Aussie sales to between 30-50 cars per year as more affordable models are introduced in the coming years, and as the Swedish factory looks to boost its output from around 20 cars per year to 1,000.

Ensuring full legality, all Jeskos and future Koenigseggs sold in Australia will be fully homologated right-hand drive models able to be registered for road use under the low volume import scheme.