Jaguar C-X75 Concept May Have A Production Future: Report

JAGUAR C-X75

Jaguar wants back into the supercar game, if reports out of Europe this week are to be believed - and its new C-X75 concept might be just the ticket it needs.

Absent since the retirement of its XJ220, one-time holder of the record for highest top speed for a production car, Jaguar revealed the C-X75 RE-EV (range-extended electric vehicle) supercar concept at the Paris Auto Show late last month.

Now, according to AutoWeek magazine, the Indian-owned British carmaker is considering a limited run of either 1000 or 2000 cars.

Whichever number Jaguar settles on, a production version of the C-X75 is at least five years away because its 'Bladon Jet' micro gas turbines have not been rigorously tested and proven for production purposes.

“We're talking two to three years for implementation of the gas-turbine technology, then another three to four years to integrate into a vehicle,” Jaguar's head of advanced powertrain development, Tony Harper told AutoWeek.

Harper is confident the gas turbines will suit Jaguar's needs however: with significantly fewer parts than an internal combustion engine, there's simply less to go wrong.

Powered primarily by an electric motor at each wheel producing a total 580kW of power, the C-X75's gas turbines add a combined 140kW to the Jag's output.

Torque? A phenomenal 1600Nm with both the electric motors and the gas turbines in play, available almost instantly.

With a single-speed transmission, the all-wheel-drive C-X75 is capable of covering the 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed, and perfectly-super, 3.4 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 330km/h - reached in 15.7 seconds.

Energy for the C-X75 is provided by a lithium-ion battery park, offering a driving range in electric-only mode of 110km and an extended range of 900km.

Like most dedicated single-seat race cars, the seats of the of the C-X75 are fixed to the bulkhead, with the steering wheel and instruments moving forward and back to allow the driver in and out.