2019 geneva motor show

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Koenigsegg Jesko shocks at Geneva: $3 million, 1,600 horsepower

Koenigsegg never ceases to amaze, and it’s time to add a new name to your dream car list: Jesko. The Koenigsegg Jesko, named after Christian von Koenigsegg’s father, was just revealed at the Geneva Motor Show as a replacement for the Agera RS. This isn’t just a variation of the Agera, either; it’s a totally new car.

It’s difficult to consider one part of this vehicle the highlight to lead with, since the entire car is filled to the brim with shocking performance technology. The flat-plane crank 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine makes 1,600 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque when you pump E85 through its veins. Regular old gasoline brings the power down to a still totally bonkers 1,280 horsepower. To keep boost pressure up, Koenigsegg has fitted the Jesko with an air tank and compressor that provide a 20-bar shot of air within the turbocharger system for pre-spooling purposes. Now that’s a pretty metal solution to turbo lag.

The engine is also fitted with what Koenigsegg claims is the world’s lightest production V8 crankshaft, (27.6 pounds) milled from a single billet of Swedish Dievar steel. Koenigsegg says vibrations are quelled by active engine mounts similar to those used in the Regera, along with lighter connecting rods and pistons.

Next up on the list of absurdly awesome things is a new nine-speed transmission with seven(!) clutches. Koenigsegg has a good reason for this obscene number of clutches, though. Dual-clutch units only allow gear changes between adjacent gears. This transmission will allow you to fly into whatever gear is optimal at whatever time. For example, if you want to shift from seventh to fourth gear in a dual-clutch transmission, the gears are changed one at a time going downward. The Jesko is capable of instantly selecting a gear without having to wait for several gear changes to get there (up to five gears away). You access this “optimal gear selection” by giving the paddle an extra hard click versus a normal, lighter click for single gear changes. This multi-clutch transmission is also significantly lighter than traditional dual-clutch units, partly because it does away with synchro rings.

The carbon fiber monocoque is larger in length and height than the Regera’s, giving the interior more space. Koenigsegg says it retained the same suspension design as the Regera, but has “improved” it. Adjustable Ohlins dampers are at all four corners, along with an additional damper in the front suspension meant to maintain an optimal ride height during high aerodynamic loads. The Jesko has a rear-wheel steering system capable of turning the wheels three degrees in either direction depending on the condition. Lightweight carbon fiber wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Pilot Sport Cup 2 Rs are available for dry weather motoring exclusively, featuring a 10 percent larger contact patch and a revised tread design.

Koenigsegg says this is the most aggressive aero package it has ever fitted onto one of its cars. An active wing, active underbody flaps and huge splitter work together to produce 1,764 pounds of downforce at 155 mph. That’s a 30 percent increase in downforce over the One:1 at similar speeds.

The Jesko is probably the easiest to live with Koenigsegg ever made, too. Those fancy, sliding doors now open further and higher away from curbs. It has a nine-inch infotainment system with Bluetooth, USB inputs, wireless phone charging and a top-view camera, and all the systems can be updated over the air via the Koenigsegg Cloud. So yeah, forget iCloud, and give us the Koenigsegg Cloud, please. Your instrument cluster is a five-inch digital screen mounted directly to the steering wheel, and there’s an analog G meter to boot. Also, the roof comes off. What more could you want?

All this comes in a car that weighs only 3,130 pounds. Koenigsegg doesn’t quote a top speed for the Jesko, but there are already plans to make a version called the Jesko 300. This one will be made with the goal of reaching speeds of over 300 mph, so expect a less aggressive aero treatment. A Jesko starts for about $3 million, but there can’t be many buyers who look at the MSRP when Koenigsegg shopping. We do know only 125 will be built, and 80 were spoken for at the time we published this story.

March 5, 2019 / Comments Off

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Aston Martin Project 003 is a road-going evolution of Valkyrie

The Aston Martin Project 003 will effectively be the most road-going example of Aston’s mid-engined hypercars. It quite obviously draws heavily from the Valkyrie (aka Project 001), which is as much the result of aerodynamic requirements as it is maintaining a family resemblance. It may not appear to be as extreme in certain respects, and it isn’t, but it does feature a number of advances.

The 003 utilizes the next-generation of “aircraft morphing technology, to create a variable airfoil across the entirety of the rear wing. The technology named FlexFoil … has been validated by NASA through extensive performance and acoustic flight testing, with Aston Martin the first to implement this cutting-edge aerospace technology in the automotive industry. The system allows for the car’s downforce to be changed without changing the physical angle of the entire element.”

So yeah, fancy stuff, and in fact, the production version will feature an even further evolution of the technology.

Aston hasn’t released full details, but did indicate the 003 will be powered by a hybrid powertrain consisting of a new turbocharged V6 developed in-house. This is in contrast to the Mercedes-sourced engines in recent Aston Martins. It will feature a sealed oil system previously utilized in the Aston Martin Vulcan and in multiple 24-hour endurance races that allows for oil changes in 90 seconds and the refinement and reuse of the engine oil itself. The production 003 will be the first road-going car to receive this technology.

Aston Martin Project 003

There is plenty shared with Valkyrie, however, including the active suspension and various electronic systems. Aston says the chassis will be “blessed with next-level precision, control and driver connection for class-leading dynamics on road and truck.”

Also like the Valkyrie, Project 003 utilizes a lightweight carbon fiber structure with carbon fiber bodywork. It was shaped for maximum aerodynamic effect, which results in the two mid-engine hypercars sharing a common shape and general look. One noteworthy visual difference are the front and rear lighting units. Their lightweight technology are shared, however. Aston Martin says the 003’s four lighting units weigh less than one DB11 headlamp.

Inside is where the 003 most ventures away from the Valkyrie, and where it demonstrates its more road-going nature. Greater concessions have been made for usability and comfort, although that is certainly relative. LMP1-style doors bring part of the roof with them when opening, making getting in and out a bit easier. The center console has also been widened to create more space between occupants (although you’re still awfully close together), while storage areas have been added for “oddments” that Aston indicates would include a wallet or mobile phone. The console itself is also 3D printed, like other interior pieces, to reduce 50 percent of the typical mass and allow for integrated switches.

Other distinctive interior elements includes a display screen mounted to the steering column to prevent the wheel rim from impeding the driver’s view (neat, but an Infiniti G35 did that) and a wraparound band of grilling between the dash and windshield that conceals the air vents, speakers and ambient lighting. The infotainment system is your smartphone — as in there’s literally a mount for a smartphone that, as details are scarce, we’d assume can run a car-related app.

Despite being more road-going, there is no trunk, only a “terrace” behind the seats. So, if you want to take your Aston Martin someplace, a DB11 or Vantage is still the better call. The 003 will be a hypercar, not a GT.

It will also not be called the 003 when production starts in late 2021. Aston Martin indicated the name could change during the Geneva Motor Show, and we will update this story should we receive word of that change.

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March 5, 2019 / Comments Off

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Bugatti La Voiture Noire is absolute elegance and the most expensive new car ever

Cars like these are why we love the Geneva Motor Show. Sure, only one lucky person will get to own this bespoke Bugatti, but man is it cool to know this is out there somewhere. It’s called the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, which literally translates to, Bugatti The Black Car. A certain elegance is lost when we move to English, so let’s just keep calling it La Voiture Noire.

Bugatti built this one-off car as a tribute to the Type 57 SC Atlantic, of which four were built between 1936 and 1938. If you spend any time at the various concours d’elegance around the world, there’s a chance you may have seen one before. Three of the four are known to still be around, and this new car pays homage to Jean Bugatti’s black car specifically.

Right off the bat, it’s easy to see this car is based on the Chiron. Bugatti plopped the Chiron W16 engine in there with all four turbos attached. It makes the exact same power as the new French speed machine with 1,479 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque. The biggest difference that we can ascertain is in the number of tailpipes. A stunning six pipes poke out between winglets in the diffuser as a tribute to the Type 57 SC Atlantic, which also featured six. The visual difference here is in the piping size and placement — the original, thin pipes from the 1930s are far classier than the massive roundels fitted on La Voiture Noire. That said, this design is still unbelievably cool, and we applaud Bugatti for going for it.

Bugatti didn’t quote a top speed for this bespoke car, but we imagine it can’t be too far off the mark from the Chiron with the amount of power it’s packing. The only glimpse into the driving character comes in this statement: “This is a coupé with the comfort of a luxury limousine and the power of a hyper sports car.” Maybe the individual who bought the car was looking for a faster and more comfortable way to get to their cottage on the weekend? We can only guess, as Bugatti hasn’t revealed the buyer’s name. But one guess is Dr. Ferdinand Piëch, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche and ex-chairman of the Volkswagen Group.

Design-wise, La Voiture Noire tries its best to take cues from the 57 SC Atlantic. You’ll notice a less pronounced dorsal fin running from the front of the car all the way back in an effort to match. The windshield flows seamlessly into the windows and back to the sides like a visor on a helmet. Bugatti says its intentions were to make it “all of a piece,” so there’s nothing to mess with the flowing lines down the car. Every last body component was handmade using carbon fiber with a glossy black carbon fiber finish. The wheel and tire design are especially eye-catching, with the tires done up to make it look like they don’t actually exist. It’s hard to find a line we don’t like on this car, especially gazing at it from the rear. It truly looks like one of those cars you draw on a napkin and wish somebody would make one day.

Not as though any of us will have to worry about it, but Bugatti says the price was $12,503,150, and that was before taxes. With all the taxes and delivery fees included, the price balloons all the way up to 18,795,716. That makes it the most expensive new car of all time, according to Bugatti. Surprised? We’re not either.

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March 5, 2019 / Comments Off

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Pininfarina teases rear aspect of PF0 hypercar, what other drivers will see

The Pininfarina design consultancy and manufacturing house has been on a slow march to the reveal of its first eponymous product under the Automobili Pininfarina banner. Finally, we get our first realistic glimpse of the electric hypercar codenamed PF0 that will be revealed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. We’ve been briefed on some of the specs, including a sub-2-second quantum leap from 0 to 60 miles per hour, a top speed homing in on 250 mph, and a 300-mile range or more. But during the recent Pebble Beach festivities, Autoweek joined potential customers invited to preview the coupe, and provides notable details.

The design is said to be 85- or 90-percent finalized, currently sporting a clean profile “vaguely similar to Ferrari 488, but nearly free of all scoops, splitters, vents, winglets and buttresses.” The full-width LED across the front of the car that we’ve seen in a previous teaser rendering contrasts with the complex rear end in the latest glimpse above. Out back, the wing gets split in two and features both taillights and active aero flaps on the trailing edges. We trust AW’s word on the lack of buttresses, but in a previous rendering, the split rear wing appears to form the tail of buttress-like structures that rise from the PF0’s side sills.

The magazine said “Dihedral doors like on the McLaren 720S cut deep into the roof.” They open to reveal thin sills and a cabin that is “fairly accurate” when compared with previous artwork, specifically concerning the dashboard’s shape and driver-centric layout. One of the most interesting features of the cockpit is the customization available; AW said buyers will be able to choose different color combos for the driver and passenger areas.

The four electric motors will produce 1,900 horsepower and close to 1,700 lb-ft of torque. Ex-Formula 1 and current Formula E driver Nick Heidfeld is assisting with turning all that gumption into usable driving dynamics. The entire electric powertrain has been developed with assistance from the Mahindra Racing Formula E team fielded by Mahindra & Mahindra, the Indian conglomerate that owns a controlling stake in Pininfarina. Other tech partners are contributing to the project, and we’ve been told that Rimac is lending some kind of hand.

When asked why the novice automaker chose an electric powertrain instead of a massively powerful electrically-assisted ICE as is common in the segment – and what a world we live in that hypercars are now a “segment” – CEO Michael Perschke said, “If you want a brand that’s relevant in 2050, you don’t start with a drivetrain that’s been used since 1890.”

Out of the 150 examples Pininfarina plans to hand-build in its Cambiano home base, at a price hovering around $2 million each, 50 are allotted for North America. The striptease will undoubtedly continue before the Geneva and the reveal of the coupe’s real name next year, but deliveries won’t begin until the end of 2020.

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August 29, 2018 / Comments Off

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