It’s no surprise that Koenigsegg is eager to set a new record for the world’s fastest production car. Christian von Koenigsegg himself expressed this ambition during the launch of the Jesko Absolut, a vehicle specifically designed for achieving top speeds.
In a more astonishing development, simulations suggest that the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut could exceed 500 km/h (311 mph). If the Swedish automaker’s advanced supercomputers are accurate, the Absolut promises to be an extraordinary machine.
Engineering Precision and Aero Dynamics
During an interview with the Top Gear magazine podcast, CvK reiterated the Jesko Absolut’s primary goal: to achieve incredibly high speeds in a straight line, consistently. The team in Angelholm is evidently enthusiastic and ready for the challenge ahead.
“We have the airfield here. We have our supercomputer simulators. We’ve been to a German wind tunnel with the Jesko Attack and Absolut, so we know exactly how the aero works on the car,” CvK told Top Gear.
“We punched those numbers into the very advanced system of the chassis dyno. And it calculates the rolling resistance of the tyre, the drag of the car, it puts correct load on the car at 500kmh if we reach there… and we managed to pass 500kmh in ninth gear before hitting the rev limiter and still having some space in the chassis dyno.”
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“It doesn’t tell you how stable the car is, but the resistance is there.” Indeed, the simulations not only projected the Jesko beyond 500 km/h (311 mph) but indicated potential for even greater speeds.
Let’s quickly recap: the Jesko Absolut is equipped with a flat-plane-crank 5.1-liter V8 engine, a nine-speed ‘Light Speed Transmission’, extensive supercharging, and a formidable 1,578 horsepower along with 1,106 lb-ft of torque, all capped off with an impressive 8,500 rpm redline. Interestingly, it does not include a flywheel, yet it revs up like a superbike.
“The other interesting thing about that is in our chassis dyno we have fans to cool the intercoolers and the radiator in front and so on, but they do not have the flow speed of 500kmh so cooling is worse, you get hotter intake temperatures from the turbos and things like that.
“Even with that, we managed to go beyond 500kmh with the full load case.”
Tire Selection and Road Conditions
Currently, the focus is on selecting the right tires – “it’s all about the tires,” CvK emphasized – and identifying a sufficiently long stretch of pavement. Similar to the Agera RS’s record-setting 277 mph run several years ago, the Jesko Absolut is poised to push its limits on a (closed-off) public road.
“We have not been able to find something that feels comfortably long enough that’s not a road,” he said. “Two reasons. We prefer not to floor it from standstill, because that would build in a lot of stress and heat.
“And then when you hit your maximum top speed, preferably you don’t want to slam your brakes because you’re close to the end of your runway or something, you want to lift off, ease down a little bit.” So going flat out on a really, really long road ‘makes a lot of sense’.
The Absolut is clearly preparing to shatter records, having recently established a new 0-400 km/h-0 time earlier this week. What comes next in its journey? “We are moving forward,” CvK said. “I hope it will happen soon.”
Showcase at Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut made a dazzling appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2022, showcasing not only its flamboyant aesthetics but also its exceptional engineering that distinguishes it from other supercars. Christian von Koenigsegg, the visionary behind these extraordinary hypercars, is determined to surpass Bugatti’s record as the world’s fastest car. However, there are a few challenges that need addressing with this latest Koenigsegg model before it can truly compete at the pinnacle of automotive excellence.
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