Discover the secrets of the Koenigsegg Jesko and Regera

TopGear sent Jack Rix to Angelholm, Sweden to see what goes into building a Koenigsegg, namely the $2-million Regera and $2.8-million Jesko. It was like a trip to Willy Wonka’s factory, but replace the chocolate with carbon fiber and aluminum. Rix started by chatting Jesko details with Christian von Koenigsegg, finding out at one point that a set of the optional carbon fiber wheels costs $65,000, and those rims are so light that they’re half the weight of the tires. Later on in the video we find out where the money goes: Each wheel takes 50 hours to lay up by hand using 650 individual pieces.

When discussing the engine and transmission, Rix asks if the Jesko will be the car to reach 300 miles per hour. Koenigsegg says the standard model won’t, because its track-focused aero package produces too much drag. The 880 kilograms of downforce at speed is great for cornering, not Bonneville. A special trim called the Jesko “Ambition 300” will go for the record. On a side note, Engineering Explained put out a video diving into the numerous wild features of the 5.0-liter twin turbo V8 that makes 1,500 horsepower on 91 octane gas, and Road & Track dived into the nine-speed Lightspeed transmission that Koenigsegg says “works like a bicycle derailleur.” That’s some bicycle…

There was once a trend of high-end car detailers repairing mediocre factory paint jobs on brand new supecars. We doubt such videos will ever feature a Koenigsegg, since painting a single one of the Swedish coupes takes from 600 to 800 hours to apply at least nine coats of clearcoat, color, and metallic.

Rix also takes a ride in the Regera, and if Beelzebub ever made a hybrid, this is what it would sound like. We recommend taking the ride through Wonderland in the video above. It’s free.