Koenigsegg Jesko Attack sets Laguna Seca production car record

Lap times and top speed specs are big business in the hypercar world, even if the cars’ owners never push them to their full potential. Automakers aren’t quite as shy with the machines, however, frequently wringing them out for bragging rights. Koenigsegg recently took its Jesko Attack to Laguna Seca for the first time and set a time of 1:24.86, edging out the Czinger 21C by just 0.58 second to set the production car lap record. It did that time with Koenigsegg development driver Markus Lundh behind the wheel, who, like the car, was tackling the track for the first time.

Koenigsegg has set several other records with the car, including the best lap time at Sweden’s Gotland Ring, where it set a time of 2:56.97, nearly eight seconds faster than the Porsche 911 GT3 RS MR. The car also holds the record for accelerating to 400 km/h (249 mph) and braking back to a stop in just 27.83 seconds, more than a second faster than the bonkers Rimac Nevera.

That performance is thanks to the car’s twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter V8, which makes 1,280 horsepower during regular operation. Pumping E85 pushes that output to 1,600 horsepower, and the car makes 1,106 pound-feet of torque. The Jesko Attack has a large rear wing and significantly more downforce than the standard Jesko. Koenigsegg claims an additional 1,764 pounds of downforce for the Attack at 155 mph, which increases to a massive 3,086 pounds at the car’s top speed.

The Jesko Absolut, which is designed for top speed runs, builds on the Attack with different bodywork that Koenigsegg says cuts downforce and improves stability at high speed. Its body is around three inches longer, and the automaker said the aero development process alone took 3,000 hours, with another 5,000 on engineering.