A Koenigsegg Jesko burned to a crisp during an enthusiasts' event that took place in Greece. Luckily, the driver and passenger got out of the car on time and nobody was injured. But the $4 million hypercar is beyond repair.
Koenigsegg only builds 125 Jeskos, with a production run of 40 to 50 cars per year. But there is minus one in the world, because one of them has just been transformed into a pile of melted metal and carbon fiber. The model burned like a torch within minutes while participating in the 6to6 Motor Europe Tour.
The route takes drivers from Athens, Greece, to Monaco through Albania, Croatia, and Italy before reaching their destination. However, the suburbs of Athens were as far as the Jesko could go. It suddenly went up in flames, and all that the occupants could do was rush out of the vehicle to save their lives.
The model was reportedly traveling at low speed when the fire occurred, just five minutes into the drive that started at a luxury hotel in the heart of Athens. There might be an issue linked to the high temperatures in the Greek capital, but there is no official confirmation. These days, a heat wave has hit eastern and southern Europe, with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), making the air unbearable.
The Jesko was brand new, having traveled only 124 miles (200 kilometers) before the moment the fire occurred. Engineers from Koenigsegg have reportedly traveled from Sweden to Greece to retrieve the Jesko. The investigation carried out by the hypercar maker, as well as one carried out by the Greek police are trying to figure out what happened.
The insurance will most likely pay out but the sight is still heartbreaking to watch. This is how $4 million went up in flames in a matter of seconds. That is how much the owner of the car reportedly paid for the head-turning Jesko Attack that he used to own before the fire event.
The two-door targa top, in its Attack version, is powered by the rear-mid-mounted 309-cubic-inch (5.1-liter) V8 engine, pumping out 1,578 horsepower (1,600 metric horsepower) when it is fed E85 or 1,280 horsepower (1,298 metric horsepower) when it gets petrol. The engine is mated to a nine-speed multi-clutch Koenigsegg Light Speed Transmission (LST), which puts the power down through the rear wheels.
The pile of metal that we are looking at used to sport the $443,400 unpainted carbon fiber package and 24-carat gold trim accents. Now, they probably needed plastic bags to carry what is left of it in them. Or a broom to sweep all the melted pieces onto a dustpan because this car is beyond repair.
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