Koenigsegg Sadair's Spear Is Koenigsegg's Most Hardcore Hypercar Ever

Just ahead of the Goodwood Festival of Speed in two weeks and to celebrate Jesko von Koenigsegg's 80th birthday, Swedish mad scientist Christian von Koenigsegg has unveiled something new, the Koenigsegg Sadair's Spear. That's a weird name, but it pays tribute to the horse Christian's father, Jesko von Koenigsegg, rode in his final race in 1976 as a jockey. Because of the link with Jesko himself, the car is obviously based on the standard Koenigsegg Jesko, but it's more hardcore, with less weight, more power, and with a wing that big, more downforce.

Road Legal Globally, Hardened For The Race Track
It's still road legal, but it's had the wick dialed up to extremes, with less weight, a track-focused interior, upgraded brakes and suspension, and more power. At its heart, Sadair's Spear has a Koenigsegg-built twin-turbo V8 displacing 5.0 liters and producing 1,602 horsepower (1,625 metric horsepower, or PS) when fed E85 (1,282 hp/1,300 PS on regular unleaded). That's 25 hp more than the standard Jesko's peak output on E85 and 20 hp more on regular fuel. Power is sent to the rear axle via Koenigsegg's Light Speed Transmission, and with no flywheel adding inertia, it can rev at an astonishing 46,000 rpm/s - that's not peak redline but a measure of how quickly it can pick up revs when the throttle is prodded.

Weight-saving measures implemented include dropping 77 lbs overall, which sees Sadair's Spear achieve a better power-to-weight ratio than the iconic Koenigsegg One:1. This was achieved through multiple small adjustments, like taking out 5.7 lbs of sound insulation and reducing the mass of the carbon fiber by 2.9 lbs through new construction techniques.Even the interior has been stripped back in some places compared to the Jesko it's built on, although core components remain. These include the steering-mounted SmartCluster display, SmartCenter infotainment suite, USB connectivity, wireless phone charging, bird's-eye camera systems, and the Koenigsegg Autoskin system, which can remotely open the doors, engine bay, and frunk lid from the key.

Don't let the latter sentence fool you, though; this is a hardcore track performer that was able to shave off 1.1 seconds from the lap record at Sweden's Gotland Ring circuit, a record previously held by the Jesko Attack. The new record? A 2:55.88.

"Sadair’s Spear represents a natural progression for Koenigsegg - an impeccable balance of raw power, refined aerodynamics, and extraordinary road presence. This car is destined to set records. Achieving such track dominance in a fully road-legal vehicle is nothing short of remarkable."

Bespoke Aero With An Unmissable Rear Wing
In teasers before the car's reveal, the wing was clearly visible and had many thinking Koenigsegg was preparing a Le Mans racing entry. But that's not the case. However, the aero package has been redefined specifically for this car. Through extensive CFD, the Sadair's Spear's aero was optimized for maximum downforce and cooling. The top-mounted, double-blade rear wing is designed to maximize downforce when cornering, while the underfloor strakes and wheel arch louvers help balance air pressure under the floor and in the wheel arches to minimize lift.

At the front end, the aero is overwhelmingly detailed and features a new front splitter, loads of sizable canards, and enhanced hood vents. Koenigsegg says these enhancements combine with the front Triplex dampers and Active Ride Height system to maximize steering feedback and handling attributes.

At the rear of the car, new hood scoops channel air into the engine bay for maximum cooling, with the air directed from the front of the car by a gurney flap on the edge of the front hood. Even the wheels are aerodynamically optimized, with 7-spoke turbine-blade Aircore carbon fiber wheels sporting directional designs. These are shod in wider track-focused rubber (Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R) measuring 325/30 at the rear and 275/35 up front. Within these wheels, the brakes have been upgraded, sporting enhanced multi-layer carbon-ceramic discs with an upgraded pad material.

An Interior Only A Few Will Ever Get To See

These enhancements would count for little if the driver were sat on a bar stool flopping about all over the interior, which is why Koenigsegg has reworked the cabin, too. Redesigned carbon fiber seats are the centerpiece, here, standard with three-point seatbelts, but available with six-point racing harnesses where legislation allows.

You won't find any trick manual shifter and three pedals here as you would in something like the CC850, though, as Koenigsegg says that owing to its purity of purpose, the Light Speed Transmission - which nearly ended up in the Bugatti Tourbillon - can only be shifted via the paddles on the steering wheel.

But those are paddles few people will ever be able to see, let alone interact with. Koenigsegg proudly proclaims only 30 units will be built, and all were already presold after a private unveiling to Koenigsegg's loyal client base.