Koenigsegg Unveils Jesko Absolut and Gemera — in Geneva!
Motor show was canceled due to coronavirus issue, but Koenigsegg still debuted high-speed stunners.
Talk about making the best of a bad situation. Koenigsegg was all ready to show off its new models at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. It had its cars and displays up in its allotted space…then the entire event got canceled over concerns about the Coronavirus. Instead of pulling its cars out and striking its installations, Koenigsegg stayed in Geneva and debuted its new Jesko Absolut and first four-seater, the Gemera.
Christian von Koenigsegg himself kicked things off by presenting what he considers the current pinnacle of his eponymous company’s abilities, the Regera. He said, “Last year, we broke the world record with the Regera: 31.49 seconds to 400 kilometers per hour (249 mph) and back to zero again.”
Sounds as if Koenigsegg had a great 2019. This year should be even better. In fact, Koenigsegg calls 2020 “The Year of the Regera.” It’s producing one of the 1,500-horsepower ultra-exotic hybrids every week and should complete its 80-car production run by the end of the year. And sometime between now and then, Koenigsegg will do the 0-400-0 run in the Regera on a better, grippier track surface and try to get under the 30-second mark.
So how does Koenigsegg top what it accomplished with the Regera? They have a two-word answer for that: Jesko Absolut. You may remember the Jesko and its huge rear wing from the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. Named after Christian von Koenigsegg’s father and armed with a 1,600-horsepower V8 (on E85) and more than 2,200 pounds of downforce, the Jesko was designed to be the company’s ultimate track weapon.
The Jesko Absolut is all about top speed. On E85, it still produces 1,600 horsepower like its sibling, but wraps that in more slippery bodywork. After thousands of hours of fluid dynamics and aerodynamics research (and ditching the massive rear wing for a pair of stability-enhancing upright fins), Koenigsegg produced an exterior with a coefficient of drag of just 0.278. Christian von Koenigsegg said the Jesko Absolut is “the fastest Koenigsegg we will ever endeavor to make.” Just how fast it ends up being remains to be seen. Its older sibling, the Agera RS, set a world record with an average speed, over two runs, of 277.87 mph (447.19 kph) in 2017.
Like the Jesko, the Gemera’s name was inspired by a member of Christian von Koenigsegg’s family. This time his mother suggested it. Gemera is a combination of Swedish words that mean “to give more.” And the Gemera does just that by offering room for four people – a first for a Koenigsegg. Its two massive doors have sensors that keep them from bumping into high curbs and low parking garage ceilings and open to reveal a front row that doesn’t need to be moved for people to access the back row. The front and rear trunks have enough space to carry a total of four carry-on suitcases.
The Gemera’s gas engine gets more out of just two liters of displacement, a pair of turbos and three cylinders. Koenigsegg quotes output at 600 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque (600 Nm). The 2.0’s connected to a titanium exhaust. According to Christian von Koenigsegg, “You get this guttural grunt which really suits the character of the car.”
Electric motors add plenty of oomph. The gas engine and an electric motor with 400 horsepower and 369 lb-ft power the front end and provide torque vectoring capability. There’s an electric motor with 500 horsepower and 738 lb-ft at each rear wheel. Those also enable torque vectoring and give the Gemera not only all-wheel drive, but also four-wheel steering. Despite a total output of 1,700 horsepower, the Gemera should be able to cover 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) on a full tank and full charge of its 800-volt, 15-kWh battery.
It’s strange knowing there’s no Geneva Motor Show this year, but we understand the reasoning behind its cancellation. One thing hasn’t changed, though. Koenigsegg is still finding ways to make interesting and even faster cars. We can’t wait to see what they bring to next year’s event.
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