By Jack Rix
September 2010
Meet the most advanced supercar ever made! Almost 20 years after Jaguar rocked the establishment with its 217mph XJ220, the Big Cat has gone one better and sent the car world into a spin with an all-new jet-powered hybrid supercar, unveiled at the Paris Motor Show.
Called the C-X75, it’s a celebration of 75 years of Jaguar designs and points toward a whole new styling direction for the brand. But the flowing bodywork doesn’t tell the whole story. Under the skin, Jaguar’s engineers have pushed the envelope with a groundbreaking plug-in hybrid powertrain, combining four electric motors with a pair of range-extending gas turbines.
A zero-emission, battery-only range of 68 miles is possible, before the twin jets kick in to charge the batteries. And with the four motors working in tandem with the turbines, a 205mph top speed is claimed.
Shorter, slimmer and lower than more traditional supercars, the brief for the C-X75 was simple - to celebrate famous models from Jaguars past, such as the D-Type and XJ13 racers, and lay down a blueprint for future models like the forthcoming Boxster-rivalling F-Type. In the words of design director, Ian Callum: “The C-X75 is everything a Jaguar should be. It possesses remarkable poise and grace yet has the excitement and potency of a true supercar.”
Both the wide, flat tail section and sunken bonnet are reminiscent of the XJ13 race car from the Sixties. But the short overhangs and cabin situated in the middle of the wheelbase give the car a distinctly modern set of proportions, while aerodynamics have played a huge part in shaping the C-X75’s exterior.
An underbody Venturi tunnel and a prominent carbon-fibre rear diffuser help to guide air under the car and create downforce at high speeds – removing the need for a rear wing. The side-mounted aluminium air intakes, and the two further vents behind the window aren’t just for show either, as principal designer Matt Beaven explained: “We wanted to emphasise how the air makes its way not just over the car but is also channelled into the rear airbox. When operating at 80,000rpm, each gas turbine requires 35,000-litres of air a minute which means we needed a series of carefully honed air intakes.”
The turbine theme is echoed in the aluminium alloy wheels – 21-inches in diameter at the front and 22-inches at the back – while the custom-made Pirelli tyres are embossed with a bright green F1-style wear indicator strip running around their circumference. To maintain the sleek lines, conventional wing mirrors have been ditched in favour of miniature cameras housed in a tailfin on the roof – a nod towards the D-Type’s famous rear fin.
Twin filler caps, one on either side of the car, provide a socket for the car’s batteries to be charged and a filling point for the turbines’ fuel tank. To create an even greater sense of drama, the two beautifully-crafted gas turbines can be clearly seen, bathed in blue light, through the rear window, while brushing the touch-sensitive handles makes the doors swing outwards and upwards allowing easy access to the equally as theatrical cabin.
As the driver approaches the car, blue electro-luminescent wires light up the outline of the cockpit, but once settled in your seat they’re replaced by phosphor blue LEDs, which immerse the interior in a soothing glow. The seats are swathed in luxurious leather and fixed to the rear bulkhead, while a rocker switch on the steering wheel brings the wheel and instrument panel closer to the driver.
To turn on the electric motors, a switch is mounted in an aircraft-inspired overhead control panel while the gear selector is modelled on a fighter jet’s throttle control. Even the dash-mounted clock is cutting edge – designed by British watch makers Bremont, it uses the acceleration and braking forces of the car to keep it wound.
Jaguar’s audio partners Bowers & Wilkins have been hard at work too, creating a bespoke system. Featuring dozens of tiny coil transducers that line the doors and rear bulkhead, it requires minimal power to operate, and includes active sound cancelling technology to isolate the passengers from the noise of the turbines.
Several screens keep the driver informed. The main display is housed within the instrument cluster and shows speed, acceleration, power production and usage. A secondary touchscreen predicts other information the driver might need. For example, by syncing with smart phone calendars it knows the driver will be attending a track day – so not only calculates a route to the circuit but also suggests activating high-performance modes when he or she arrives.
And high-performance is what the C-X75 is all about. Four 195bhp independent electric motors, one to drive each wheel, produce 780bhp and 1,600Nm of torque. Combined with the two gas turbines, which produce 95bhp each, the C-X75 has a staggering 970bhp at its disposal.
The 0-62mph sprint flashes by in just 3.4 seconds, while in Track mode, where the turbines provide supplementary power to the motors, a top speed of 205mph is within reach. Even more remarkable is that a six-hour charge of the lithium-ion batteries from a standard mains supply allows up to 68-miles of emissions-free motoring. Even in range extending mode, which lengthens the theoretical range to 560-miles, it emits just 28g/km of CO2.
Weighing 35kg each, there are several benefits to using gas turbines, instead of a piston engine, as a range-extending power source. With fewer moving parts, they don’t need oil lubrication or water-cooling, which saves weight. They can run on diesel, biofuels, compressed natural gas or liquid petroleum gas and they reach operating conditions in seconds meaning they’re efficient in short bursts.
With a motor on each wheel, the C-X75 gets a very lightweight four-wheel drive system too. Another benefit is the ability to vector torque to the wheel with most grip. Add to that an aluminium chassis and panels made from the same material, and on paper the C-X75 promises to be nimbler and more powerful than any Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche.
The official word from Jaguar is that the C-X75’s purpose is to preview where its design department is heading, and showcase technology that will make it into future production models. However, a company source told us that this is the halo car Jaguar must put into production – and we couldn’t agree more.
Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/motorshows/paris-motor-show/257503/jaguars_jetpowered_supercar.html#ixzz12fVATdXx
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