Believe It or Not, This Isn't a Real Koenigsegg Jesko

It's an amazing replica with a four-cylinder powertrain from a Toyota Camry... and no front brakes.

Photo by: NHET TV / YouTube

By: Christopher Smith

Feb 10, 2025 at 1:30pm ET

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You probably can't afford a new Koenigsegg Jesko. Few people can afford the $3-million hypercar. That's why the ambitious folks at the NHẾT TV YouTube channel decided to just build one. And you know what? It looks really good. We aren't exactly keen to drive it, though.

The project took a year to complete. The entire process is condensed into an hour-long video, with the build taking place in Vietnam. Considering they're working in a small shop without a plethora of high-tech equipment, the whole thing is actually quite impressive. It starts with a skeleton frame mocked up to create the Jesko's body, which is covered in clay and sculpted like you'd see in an automaker's design studio. Individual fiberglass body panels are made from that, then combined to create a single fiberglass body shell.

Meanwhile, the group fabricates a steel chassis, and by that, we mean they fabricated everything—bushings, suspension arms, mounts, and specialty fasteners needed to bolt parts together. The frame uses a sophisticated inboard suspension setup, which is then tested in a very unsophisticated 10-foot drop from a wrecker. Such is life when you don't have a 4,000-acre testing facility at your disposal.

With the frame sorted, a Toyota Camry donor call enters the scene. The crew buys a largely wrecked (but still operational) 1990s four-cylinder Camry for a whopping $100 and pulls the powertrain. Granted, the engine is a bit down on power compared to the real Jesko's 1,600-horsepower V-8, but this copy at least has a three-pedal manual transmission.

It also gets the Camry's steering and brake system, which for reasons we don't understand includes only rear brakes. Technically, it's the front brakes mounted at the rear since the engine and transmission are installed at the back. That explains why we see the car constantly doing handbrake-style slides when it comes to a stop. So yeah, it looks like a Jesko, but it definitely doesn't drive like one.

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The project concludes with even more fiberglass, this time for exterior elements like the big spoiler and body kit. A Jesko-esque interior is also created in fiberglass, though it doesn't look particularly comfortable. But the cool Koenigsegg doors open as they should, and it does look great from the outside. It even has a center-exit exhaust.

The video makes the build look pretty simple, but the amount of fabrication work needed to build this car is seriously impressive. Sure, it doesn't have air conditioning, or a stereo, or front brakes. But really, do you need all of that to have a supercar experience?