
Koenigsegg Sadair's Spear: Road-legal track car revealed
The Koenigsegg Sadair's Spear takes the Jesko and adds more power, torque, and downforce for a big dollop of extra track-day fun.
Behind the passenger cell is an upgraded version of the Jesko's 5.0-litre twin-turbo V8. Thanks to a revised calibration, and reworked airflow and cooling systems, when using regular unleaded the V8 now makes 969kW at 7800rpm, or 1212kW if it's being fed E85 fuel.
Torque figures are unchanged, with a maximum of 1500Nm produced at 5100rpm, and at least 1000Nm available between 2700 and 6170rpm. The engine is redlined at 8500rpm.
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All of the engine's fury is once again fed to the rear wheels via a nine-speed multi-clutch 'Light Speed Transmission'.
For reference, the regular Jesko makes a mere 941kW on 95-octane unleaded fuel, and 1177kW on E85. The Sadair's Spear power-to-weight ratio exceeds 1:1.
Stopping ability comes courtesy of 410mm ventilated ceramic discs at the front with massive six-piston calipers up front, and 395mm ventilated ceramic discs with four-pot calipers at the rear.
To keep the car on the ground the aero package has been revised with larger canards, tweaked wheel arch louvres, a bonnet vent with integrated Gurney flap, and a redesigned top-mounted double-blade rear wing.
With a 1385kg curb weight, the Sadair's Spear is 35kg lighter than the Jesko. Around 2.6kg of those savings come through reduced sound insulation, with a further 1.3kg lost thanks to 'new carbon-fibre techniques'.
The cabin features redesigned carbon-fibre seats with memory foam padding, and can be fitted with a six-point racing harness. While niceties like the digital instrumentation screen and infotainment display remain, the gear shifter has been eliminated, meaning the only way to shift gears is via the flappy paddles behind the steering wheel.
The Sadair's Spear rides on 275/35 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres with 20-inch rims up front, and 325/30 rubber wrapped around 21-inch wheels at the rear. Semi-slick Cup 2R tyres are also available.
Christian von Koenigsegg, the company's founder, named the Jesko after his father as a 'heartfelt tribute' for his support during the supercar maker's early years.
The Sadair's Spear is in turn named after his dad's favourite horse, and the one he rode in his final race as a gentleman jockey in 1976.
Production of the Sadair's Spear is limited to 30 cars, and all are already spoken for after a private unveiling in front of prospective customers.
No pricing has been announced, but it's probably safe to assume it will cost more than the US$2.85 million (A$4.36 million) required to snaffle a Jesko.
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Inside there's a new dashboard that's inspired by Wood & Pickett's "Margrave" interior, and includes metal bezels for the dials and vents, piano key switches, an entertainment system that supports Apple CarPlay, and a pair of cupholders ahead of the gearshift. Other changes include new front seats, and a rebuilt and retrimmed rear bench. Extra soundproofing has been installed, as has new high quality carpet, and electric windows. The Wood and Pickett Mini by Callum has a starting price of £75,000 (A$157,500), with each car hand built and personalised to the buyer's specifications. There will be a limited production run, although no number has been specified. The brown car seen here is the first production car, and belongs to British model David Gandy. Wood & Pickett is a coachbuilder and car modification company that dates back to 1947, and made a name for itself in the 1960s for its work on the original Mini. Ian Callum was head of design for Jaguar from 1999 to 2019 when he quit to start his own automotive design consultancy. MORE: Everything Mini Content originally sourced from: Ian Callum, the design chief of Jaguar until 2019, has teamed up with coachbuilders Wood & Pickett for a Mini restomod. Based on the Mk5 Mini Sportspack built from 1997 until the original car's demise in 2001, the restomod includes wide Wood & Pickett wheel arches, and new side sills. The front and rear valences under the bumpers have been redesigned for improved cooling. Both the head- and tail-lights have been upgraded to LED units, with new graphics at both ends. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Under the bonnet lives a thoroughly reworked four-cylinder engine that's grown from 1.275L to 1.31L. The increase in volume, as well as new performance cylinder heads, a unique exhaust system with two upswept tips, and revised twin-point fuel injection system boosts output to 82kW. The car rides on a new suspension kit and Ian Callum-designed 13-inch alloy wheels. Up front there's an upgraded braking package featuring 213mm grooved and ventilated discs, while the rear remains a drum-only setup. Inside there's a new dashboard that's inspired by Wood & Pickett's "Margrave" interior, and includes metal bezels for the dials and vents, piano key switches, an entertainment system that supports Apple CarPlay, and a pair of cupholders ahead of the gearshift. Other changes include new front seats, and a rebuilt and retrimmed rear bench. Extra soundproofing has been installed, as has new high quality carpet, and electric windows. The Wood and Pickett Mini by Callum has a starting price of £75,000 (A$157,500), with each car hand built and personalised to the buyer's specifications. There will be a limited production run, although no number has been specified. The brown car seen here is the first production car, and belongs to British model David Gandy. Wood & Pickett is a coachbuilder and car modification company that dates back to 1947, and made a name for itself in the 1960s for its work on the original Mini. Ian Callum was head of design for Jaguar from 1999 to 2019 when he quit to start his own automotive design consultancy. MORE: Everything Mini Content originally sourced from: