This is how Koenigsegg built the fastest production engine in the world

We’re going to tell you how Koenigsegg built the fastest production engine in history. The twin-turbo V8 fitted to the Koenigsegg Jesko is capable of outperforming every other production road car ever built. The block displaces 5.1 litres and, according to Christian von Koenigsegg, founder of the brand, outright speed wasn’t even the goal the engineers were chasing when they designed the engine.

The decisive factor that lets the Koenigsegg Jesko’s engine rev faster lies in the transmission. The gearbox, named Lightspeed, has nine speeds and is integrated into the engine block. Instead of a conventional clutch mechanism between the engine and the transmission, the Lightspeed gearbox has seven wet clutches inside its aluminium casing, plus an eighth for the electronically controlled differential.

This is the fastest production engine in history

The highly unconventional transmission design delivers capabilities never seen before in road cars. In the Jesko, you can shift from any gear directly to any other, almost instantly. A double tap on the gear selector automatically drops you to the lowest possible gear at whatever speed you’re travelling, for maximum acceleration.

Thanks to the way the gearbox works, there is also no need to adjust the revs. “We can use the gearbox to force the engine to change speed more quickly, something you can’t do with synchronisers. Plus, with nine gears you have super-short ratios. It’s a very beautiful gear set, like a motorcycle’s. I had high expectations, but it has left me speechless in terms of engagement and response, how it does exactly what you want immediately,” Christian von Koenigsegg pointed out.

In neutral, the Jesko’s V8 is limited to 7,800 rpm, rising to 8,500 rpm when in gear. The manufacturer considered adding an air injection system, but testing showed it wasn’t necessary. The engine powering the Jesko is in fact an evolution of the Agera RS’s V8. It is a flat-plane design with dry-sump lubrication. Being a long-stroke engine, the Koenigsegg team had to think hard about vibrations as it approaches that 8,500 rpm redline. The connecting rods are made from a Swedish steel alloy, not the titanium found in the Agera RS.

Additionally, each cylinder has a pressure sensor and two fuel injectors; a third injector sits in the intake plenum above each cylinder. On petrol, the Jesko’s V8 produces 1,280 CV; switch to E85 and the figure rises to 1,600 CV.