Koenigsegg Designs a Unique Transmission for JesKo Supercar

The Swedish carmaker Koenigsegg has recently presented its much-anticipated hypercar at the Geneva Motor Show, and it certainly surpassed all expectations. The new supercar named JesKo combines a lot of innovative technologies design peculiarities, but in this article we will pay closer attention to the most interesting component of the 1600-horsepower Koenigsegg JesKo – its transmission.

Take a look under the hood of the new supercar Jesko

If you assumed that Regera's direct-drive technology was crazy, you will be absolutely stunned by the transmission solution implemented in the JesKo model and named a "Light Speed Transmission" (LST). This 9-speed gearbox with 7 clutches, created fully in-house, is notable for its space-saving dimensions, light weight (only 198 pounds), and operational characteristics.

Light Speed Transmission

This miracle of engineering is named “Light Speed” for a reason. The company created this unique gearbox to have maximum power as needed. Because of synchronous engagement and disengagement of clutches, it ensures "near light-speed" upshifting and downshifting. In contrast to standard DCTs, which pre-selects the next gear before shifting, the LST can switch to any gear instantaneously, even from 7-th to 4-th without wasting time for synchronization. With the LST's 7 clutches and the V-8's anti-lag unit, there's actually no decrease in torque delivery as you speed up through the gears.

Jesko’s gear shifter

To realize the full potential of its structural advantages, the LST applies a 2-stage control. Both the paddles and the gear stick have notched mechanisms. A light pull allows you to shift to the next ratio. Pull further and you'll enable a special mode known as "Ultimate Power On Demand". When this mode is actuated, the system specifies the most preferable gear for max. speed-up and puts into that gear at once.

Check out JesKo debut at the Geneva Motor Show

According to Christian von Koenigsegg (founder of the brand), the company had to develop a new gearbox solution which complies with unusually high requirements for the Jesco model. The dual-clutch option used in the previous model could not handle up to 1100 pound feet of torque, while transmissions installed on other V8 cars like Ferrari and Mclaren also fall short compared to the performance characteristics and design advantages of the LST.