The Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut is one of the most capable production cars on the planet. It’s already set a handful of speed records thanks to its 1,600-horsepower V-8 and trippy nine-speed “Light Speed Transmission.” Now, the car can add yet another record to its growing list of accolades.
Koenigsegg published a video to its Instagram page on Tuesday showing a Jesko Absolut running a blistering standing half-mile at the company’s runway test track in Sweden. During the run, the Jesko was able to reach a top speed of 359.83 kilometers per hour, or 223.6 miles per hour—the highest top speed of any production car in the half-mile.
The run took the Jesko 13.27 seconds, placing it about a half-second behind the current record-holder, the Rimac Nevera. A quarter-mile time of 8.88 seconds makes the Jesko Absolut the quickest gas-powered production car in the quarter-mile, beating out the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 by a couple of tenths. EVs like the Nevera and the Pininfarina Battista are still quicker, though.
The Jesko’s 0-62 mph time of 2.79 seconds doesn’t shatter any records, but it’s incredibly quick. Remember, this car is rear-wheel drive, and doesn’t have any hybrid aids to get it off the line. Yet it is still able to sprint to 62 mph without much fanfare. That’s the magic of a modern launch control system and that cool gearbox.
We suspect this won’t be the last record the Jesko Absolut breaks. CEO Christian von Koenigsegg has been teasing plans for a top-speed record run, saying the car is capable of up to 330 mph. But the company has yet to find a suitable space to attempt the run. Ehra-Lessien, the Volkswagen-owned oval track where Bugatti set its 304-mph record, doesn’t just let anyone in. Something tells us VW wouldn’t want to give a competitor the chance to break their record, if it had a choice.
Read the full article here