Koenigsegg Jesko Storms Around Top Gear Test Track, Setting New Road-Legal Lap Record

Koenigsegg has come a long way since its hypercars were first featured on Top Gear almost 20 years ago. Not only have its cars become much more powerful, but they feature trick new technologies, high-revving engines, and gearboxes that provide lightning-quick shifts. It’s hardly a surprise then that when Top Gear was given the chance to test out the Jesko Attack at the Dunsfold Aerodrome, The Stig proceeded to set a new lap record in the Swedish hypercar.

The Jesko represents the current pinnacle of the Koenigsegg line-up. It’s powered by a 5.1-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that churns out 1,280 hp on pump gas or 1,600 hp when filled with E85. This engine isn’t special only because of how powerful it is, but also because it features a 180-degree flat-plane crankshaft and revs to 8,500 rpm. What’s more, it takes just 213 milliseconds for the engine to spin from idle to 7,800 rpm, making it the world’s fastest-revving production engine.

Watch: Driving Koenigsegg’s 1,600 HP Jesko Attack Looks Like A Wild Ride

Prior to the Koenigsegg hitting the Top Gear test track, the record for a road-legal car had been held by the Ferrari SF90 Stradale with a time of 1:11.3. That placed it ahead of the Ferrari 488 Pista at 1:12.7, the Dallara Stradale at 1:12.8, and the Porsche 911 GT2 RS at 1:13.4. The Jesko Attack managed to blitz its way around the circuit in just 1:10.9.

That time puts it only 0.2 seconds behind a Ferrari FXX and a bunch of other non-street-legal cars like the Caparo T1, Aston Martin DBR9, Pagani Zonda R, and McLaren 720S GTX.

You may be surprised the Jesko was ‘only’ 0.4 seconds quicker than the SF90 Stradale, despite having roughly 600 hp more, weighing 551 lbs (250 kg) less, and producing significantly more downforce. Well, for starters, the SF90 Stradale has the advantage of being all-wheel drive, whereas the Jesko is rear-wheel drive. Additionally, the Top Gear track is quite compact, and The Stig was only able to go full throttle on a few occasions. Had the track featured more straights and more high-speed corners, the Koenigsegg likely would have been even faster than the Ferrari.