Koenigsegg Smashes Quarter-Mile Speed Record For Production Cars

There are only three certainties in life: death, taxes, and Koenigsegg setting some record. The Swedish hypercar company is at it again, this time killing two birds with one stone at its home airfield in Ängelholm. On June 6, the country’s national day, the Jesko Absolut became the first production car to surpass 300 km/h (186 mph) in the quarter mile. Factory test driver Markus Lundh was clocked at 305.39 km/h (189.76 mph) at the quarter-mile mark.

That’s not all. The high-speed run continued to the half-mile mark, where the mid-engine V8 beast reached 373.87 km/h (232.31 mph). All the staggering figures were independently verified by Racelogic, making the double-speed record for the quarter-mile and half-mile fully legitimate. Onboard telemetry also showed that the Jesko Absolut needed only 2.35 seconds to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill, while the sprint from 0 to 300 km/h (186 mph) took a mere 8.3 seconds.

The result is even more impressive when you consider that the car is purely rear-wheel drive and doesn’t benefit from any form of hybrid assistance. At the same time, the double-record run took place on an unprepped surface, and the Jesko Absolut was equipped with production-spec tires. Oh, and as the attached footage shows, the driver was holding a phone in one hand while keeping the car straight with the other.

OTA Update For Extra Performance

If you’re among the one-percenters who happen to have a Jesko Absolut resting in a climate-controlled garage, Koenigsegg has some good news. The tweaks that made this record run possible will be pushed via an over-the-air update to vehicles already built, squeezing out that extra drop of performance.

The rate at which the Jesko Absolut picks up speed is unreal, and it wouldn’t be possible without the virtually instantaneous response of the nine-speed automatic transmission. It needed just 2.53 seconds to go from 100 to 200 km/h (62 to 124 mph), all while the V8 sent power exclusively to the rear wheels, with no front-mounted electric motor to assist.

The Jesko Is Mind-Bendingly Fast, But Koenigsegg Will Top It

Koenigsegg is confident it can unlock even more speed, though not necessarily with the Jesko Absolut. Company founder and CEO Christian von Koenigsegg hinted that the more practical four-seat Gemera could go even faster in a straight line since it’s a hybrid with all-wheel drive and considerably more power. The electrified V8 delivers a combined 2,300 hp, whereas the Jesko Absolut can muster "only" 1,280 hp, or 1,600 hp when running on E85 fuel.

Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut

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Motor1's Take: The fact that Mr. Koenigsegg is already implying the Gemera will outpace the Jesko Absolut, despite being a heavier car, shows that the company is far from finished chasing records. Here’s hoping Bugatti joins the action with the new V16-powered Tourbillon and that we haven’t heard the last from Rimac’s Nevera R.

We haven’t forgotten about the Hennessey Venom F5 or the SSC Tuatara, but it’s been a minute since either of these American brands shared meaningful updates about their products. Speaking of the United States, Chevrolet has suggested the Corvette ZR1X is the ultimate expression of the C8 generation, making it the likely final boss of the current lineup.

Chasing Speed:

Jesko Absolut Debuts As The Fastest Car Koenigsegg Will Ever Make

Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut Can Theoretically Do 330 MPH

Koenigsegg Still Determined To Hit 300 MPH But Admits It's "Really Scary Stuff"

Koenigsegg Teases Jesko Absolut Speed Record Attempts "In Due Time"