Koenigsegg has finalised the customer specification of the Gemera, its four-seat ‘megacar’ – so named because it produces more than one megawatt of power (1341bhp).
It will be available with two hybrid powertrains, each featuring a new radial-flux electric motor that alone produces 789bhp and 922lb ft.
Nicknamed the ‘Dark Matter’ for its claimed high power density, it is paired with an evolution of Koenigsegg’s clutchless and flywheel-less nine-speed gearbox.
The combination reduces the powertrain’s overall size and weight compared with the direct drive system that was previously considered. That powertrain, used in the Koenigsegg Regera, used what was effectively a fixed-ratio gearbox with three electric motors to power the car at low speeds, before the engine kicked in at around 3500rpm.
The development of the new electric motor and gearbox has allowed Koenigsegg to transplant the Jesko hypercar’s 5.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 into the Gemera.
Its exhaust has been relocated above the engine – making it what the Swedish specialist maker calls a ‘hot V8’ or HV8 – bringing a slight reduction in output from 1578bhp in the Jesko (when running on E85 ethanol fuel) to 1479bhp.
Nonetheless, the final result is a massive uplift in the Gemera’s overall power output: combined with the 789bhp motor, the ‘hot V8’ powertrain can send 2268bhp and 2028lb ft through all four wheels.
With the previous direct drive powertrain – featuring a twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine – it was said to produce 1700bhp.
That system’s diminutive three-pot – nicknamed ‘The Tiny Friendly Giant’ by Koenigsegg for its relatively large output of 600bhp – remains available in the production Gemera. However, the move to one electric motor, rather than three, means the ‘TFG’-based powertrain now produces 319bhp less than originally planned, kicking out 1381bhp in total. That still makes the 2.0-litre Gemera one of the most powerful hybrids in production.