Koenigsegg’s new 1603bhp hypercar has serious track focus and a silly name

Sadair’s Spear. It sounds like a relic from Greek mythology, but it’s actually the name of Koenigsegg’s latest and greatest hypercar. Named after a horse that Jesko von Koenigsegg – father of Christian – raced in the ‘70s, the new model is the firm’s most extreme yet, derived from the Jesko and fully focused on track performance with more aggressive aero, a lighter kerbweight and a boost to 1603bhp. Just 30 will be built to take on the likes of the Ferrari F80, McLaren W1, Aston Martin Valkyrie and Mercedes-AMG One at the top of the hypercar ladder. 

The ‘standard’ Jesko isn’t exactly lacking in any department, from power (1578bhp) to top speed (a theoretical 300mph in the low-drag Absolut) or downforce (a claimed 1400kg in the track-focused Attack). The Sadair’s Spear goes further still in pursuit of lap times, being visually even more aggressive than either version of the base car. At the front there are huge cannards, an enlarged bonnet vent and redesigned wheelarch louvres, which work with an enormous new active rear wing and a modified underbody to suck the car to the ground. 

Technically, the Sadair’s Spear can produce up to 1765kg of downforce, but whether its Michelin Cup 2 tyres can take that kind of load is another matter. Either way, expect it to be even more capable than the Jesko Attack, thanks to the added downforce, tweaked aero balance, improved cooling and a 35kg weight saving, bringing the Sadair’s Spear down to 1385kg. 

No doubt the 1603bhp twin-turbo V8, tweaked with optimised intake scoops and mapping, will make light work of that. It revs to 85000rpm and produces that headline power figure when running on E85, and 1282bhp on pump fuel. Maximum torque is 1106lb ft. The engine is hooked up to Koenigsegg’s clever ‘Light Speed’ transmission, which uses nine forward gears and a series of multi-plate clutches for fast shifts, even being able to skip multiple ratios if needed.

At the core of the Sadair’s Spear is a carbon monocoque, to which double wishbone suspension is mounted at all four corners, along with electronically adjustable Triplex pushrod dampers. The setup is optimised for the track, with carbonfibre wheels and ceramic brakes coming as standard, and Michelin Cup 2 tyres available as an option. Although the Sadair’s Spear is all about track performance, it still maxes out at 224mph, and while its 0-62mph time hasn’t been disclosed, it’s sure to be under 3sec. 

The track-spec vibe continues inside with carbon seats with optional six-point harnesses, although the Jesko’s steering-mounted driver’s display, infotainment system and parking camera system remain. Pricing hasn’t been disclosed, but the Sadair’s Spear will be limited to 30 units, and has been designed to ‘break records,’ according to Koenigsegg. Whether that means a shot at the AMG One’s production car record at the Nürburgring remains to be seen.