You could never accuse Koenigsegg of lacking ambition. While the 3-cylinder engine in the Gemera is a masterpiece in engineering, most customers simply didn’t want it.
When the Gemera was announced back in 2020, we were all amazed and slightly baffled by its engine. Called the ‘Tiny Friendly Giant’, it was a 2.0-litre, twin-turbocharged three-cylinder that, by itself, made around 600bhp.
This engine would have been part of a roughly 1400bhp hybrid system. It also, somehow, didn’t have camshafts. Don’t ask us how that worked.
Well, that’s all in the past now. The company’s founder and boss, Christian von Koenigsegg, has announced that the 3-cylinder Gemera isn’t happening anymore due to low demand. It turns out that the vast majority of customers preferred the big ol’ 5.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that was originally offered as an option last year.
This V8 is closely related to the one powering Koenigsegg’s more recent two-seater hypercars, including the current Jesko and CC850. In the Gemera, it’s in ‘hot vee’ form, with turbos nestled between the cylinder banks and the exhaust system running along the top of the engine.
By itself, this V8 produces a staggering 1479bhp. Combined with the 789bhp ‘Dark Matter’ electric motor, the entire system churns out an eye-watering 2268bhp and 2749Nm of torque.
While it’s not surprising that most hypercar buyers weren’t keen on an engine configuration similar to that of a Peugeot 2008, it’s still a bit of a shame. The Tiny Friendly Giant sounded like a deeply impressive piece of engineering.
But don’t write it off just yet. Knowing Von Koenigsegg, it might “eventually” find its way into the Gemera further down the line. So, who knows?
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