Jesko Absolut: Car or cruise missile with cupholders.

Chris Mcafee
Jun 28
4 min read

It looks like a spaceship, sounds like a war crime, and may well become the fastest production car in history—if we can just find a planet long enough to let it stretch its legs.

The Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut isn’t just a car; it's a rolling science experiment. An aerodynamic fever dream that seems less interested in transportation and more focused on bullying physics into submission. Built by people who looked at the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ and said, “hold my beer,” the Jesko Absolut is Koenigsegg’s final answer to a question no sane automaker was asking.

It All Starts With a Jesko

The Jesko, as a base, was already a monster. A beast so serious, Koenigsegg named it after Christian von Koenigsegg’s father—because when your creation is this wild, naming it after Dad is the only way to make it feel even remotely grounded.

The Jesko Attack is a weapon built for the track. It has enough downforce to park on the ceiling, if you're daft enough to try. But the Jesko Absolut? That's the twin who disappeared into a wind tunnel for three years and came back looking like a Scandinavian space assassin.

The rear wing is gone. In its place: two elegant tail fins that look like they should be on a fighter jet. The body has been smoothed to a drag coefficient of 0.278, which is less “cutting through the air” and more “whispering past it.” This car isn’t about grip. It’s about slipping through the atmosphere like a carbon fiber bullet dipped in Teflon.

Numbers That Make Engineers Sweat

Lurking beneath that alien silhouette is a 5.0L twin-turbocharged V8—essentially an internal combustion riot waiting to happen.

1,280 hp on pump gas
1,600 hp on E85 (because why not)
1,106 lb.-ft of torque
8,500 RPM redline
0–60 mph in ~2.2 seconds

This engine doesn’t purr. It shrieks in ancient Swedish, threatening legal action against the Geneva Convention. And just to show off, it uses Air Injection to pre-spool the turbos with compressed air. That means zero lag. It’s like handing an F1 car to a mad scientist and telling them, "No rules, just fun."

The Light Speed Transmission: Warp Drive for the Road

Forget dual-clutch gearboxes. Koenigsegg built its own gearbox, the Light Speed Transmission (LST)—a 9-speed, multi-clutch marvel that can skip gears like a caffeinated DJ spinning vinyl. This lets you go from 6th to 3rd, 5th to 9th, 4th to whatever-the-hell-you-want—instantly. There’s no hesitation, no waiting. Just go. It keeps the car in the sweet spot of power like it's psychic. And if you're not careful with your right foot, you might accidentally time travel.

So… How Fast Is It?

Here’s the kicker: we don’t actually know. Not because the Jesko Absolut can’t do it—but because nowhere on Earth is quite ready. Koenigsegg claims this car can crack 330+ mph, which is roughly Mach 0.43. That’s faster than a Boeing 737 taking off. That’s "Tell my family I love them" fast. The only thing standing in its way is geography. There simply aren’t many places long and smooth enough to test this without a military escort and a priest. The last time Koenigsegg tried this (with the Agera RS), they used a Nevada highway. That road’s no longer available, and private runways are starting to look short.

So for now, the Jesko Absolut lives in a kind of quantum state—both the fastest car ever built and not quite yet.

Surprisingly Civilized… For a Rocket

And yet, for all its ferocity, the Jesko Absolut isn’t a stripped-down speed coffin. The interior is downright… civilized.

SmartCluster digital dash that rotates with the steering wheel
Climate control and Apple CarPlay
A carbon monocoque tub stiff enough to double as a storm shelter
Active suspension that adapts faster than your excuses

You even get luggage space—because if you’re hitting warp speed on the way to brunch, you’ll need somewhere to store your backup pants.

Final Thoughts: What Is This Thing?

If the McLaren F1 and the SR-71 Blackbird had a child that was raised to race lightning, you end up with the Jesko Absolut, a Bond villain’s idea of subtle transportation.

It’s Koenigsegg’s closing argument in the never-ending courtroom of speed. A machine so clever, so efficient, and so absurdly fast that it makes other hypercars feel like leased minivans. This isn’t just a car. It’s a statement. One that reads: “We’re not playing your game—we’ve built our own. "And that game? It involves rockets. With license plates.

🔧 Jesko Absolut – Quick Spec Breakdown

Engine 5.0L Twin-Turbo V8 (Koenigsegg Gen III)

Horsepower 1,280 hp (pump gas) / 1,600 hp (E85)

Torque 1,106 lb-ft (1,500 Nm)

Transmission 9-Speed Light Speed Transmission (LST)

Top Speed (Est.) 330+ mph (531+ km/h)

0–60 mph ~2.2 seconds (estimated, traction-limited)

Drag Coefficient 0.278 Cd

Weight ~3,130 lbs (1,420 kg)

Chassis Carbon fiber monocoque w/ aluminum honeycomb

Production Cap 125 units (combined Attack & Absolut)

Price ~$3 million USD (before taxes/options)

Wing Type Twin Aerodynamic Stabilizers (no active wing)

Interior Features SmartCluster, Apple CarPlay, touchscreen, HVAC