Koenigsegg Ready To Smash Top-Speed Record, But One Thing Stands In The Way

The incredible Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut has set four new world speed records and is now the fastest-accelerating car from 0-400-0 km/h. The Absolut required just 27.83 seconds to do so and 28.27 seconds to accelerate from 0-250-0 mph – 1.33 seconds faster than the record set by the Regera last year. But company founder and CEO Christian von Koenigsegg isn’t one to rest on his laurels and plans to snatch the top speed record, too.

In a video documenting the record runs, von Koenigsegg shared a little about the planned top-speed runs. “We’ve done a lot of preparation,” said the CEO.

The charismatic chief exec didn’t give an exact time frame but noted that Koenigsegg hopes to pull this off in the near future.

A Jesko Absolut Speed Run Will Happen Soon

Tires are a hugely important part of any top-speed run, especially when talking about cars with an estimated top speed of 330+ mph. While it’s possible to make a car go that fast, manufacturers such as Koenigsegg are limited by tire technology. However, there have been great strides in this field, and the automaker is most likely waiting for safety organizations to sign off on the high-end rubber required to take the Jesko beyond 300 mph. The recent record run was conducted with Michelin Cup2 R tires.

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For Koenigsegg, this top speed record run has been a long time coming. Indeed, von Koenigsegg has been dreaming of this for years. In 2020, he told CarBuzz that the Jesko Absolut would be the ideal car to break the record. While Bugatti has already broken through the 300-mph barrier, Koenigsegg hopes to exceed the 500 km/h mark. Remember, the calculations suggest it can hit 330.5 mph. And when Koenigsegg goes for it, it will likely be the last attempt the company makes.

Koenigsegg Isn’t The Only Brand Aiming For 300 MPH+

“This car is capable of incredible speeds; we probably will be restricted more by road and driver willingness than the car itself,” von Koenigsegg told us. The CEO added that this will be the supercar maker’s last attempt, describing it as a “last stab” at top-speed records. From there, Koenigsegg would like to tackle lap records; last year, the Jesko shattered the record at the Gotland Ring racetrack in Sweden.

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But Koenigsegg isn’t the only brand with top-speed record ambitions. Hennessey also has plans to set a speed record of over 300 mph, as confirmed by John Hennessey himself. “We now have the car… it’s just about ready to go; we have the driver, we have the team. We believe we have the car that is capable of running a number well north of 300 [mph].” It remains to be seen who gets there first, but it’s certainly an exciting time for gearheads to be alive.

And with a new Bugatti entering the fight, too, we could be set for an onslaught of top speed attempts in the next few years.