► One of the most powerful E-motors we’ve seen
► Sci-fi looks, sci-fi performance
► Debuts in the Gemera
The object above may look like a sci-fi hockey puck or a carbonfibre bath plug, but it’s actually one of the most innovative electric motors in production today. It’s the beating heart of Koenigsegg’s new Gemera hypercar, and its name is equally ominous; this is the Dark Matter.
The what?
It’s actually called the Dark Matter Raxial Flux 6-phase E-motor in full – and it debuted in the production-spec Gemera hypercar shown at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The specs tell most of the story; it’s capable of pushing out around 800bhp and 922lb ft of torque, and weighs just 40kg.
As for the name? As well as referencing a possible source of infinite energy, the ‘raxial’ part refers to the fact it’s a mix between radial and axis. The max speed of the Dark Matter is 8500rpm.
So good is the performance of the new motor, that a single Dark Matter replaces the three motors shown in the pre-production hypercar. The result is a production car that’s lighter, more and agile but just as powerful as the concept we saw a few years ago.
In standard spec the Dark Matter is paired to a 2.0-litre inline-three twin-turbo, which Koneg calls the Tiny Friendly Giant. Why? Because despite its size, it puts out a total of 608 PS (447 kW; 600 hp) and 600 Nm (443 lb.-ft.) of torque. That makes a total of 1400 bhp.
However, the super-compactness of the motor (it measures 383.3mm x 381.5mm x 135.5mm) means the Gemera chassis has the wriggle room to fit in a modified version of the Jesko’s V8 engine, too. In that spec, which the Koenigsegg engineers are calling Hot V8 or (HV8) the Swedish supercar can put out 2300 bhp.
Keyword: Koenigsegg Dark Matter: meet the 800bhp heart of the Gemera hypercar