Autovolt Magazine

Jaguar C-X75 at Goodwood

Jaguar C-X75 at Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS) 2013
Jaguar C-X75 at Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS) 2013

The stunning Jaguar C-X75 hybrid concept car is set to make a surprise appearance at the ongoing Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS) today which is sure to delight crowds a-plenty.  The hybrid car which has had a turbulent history of on and then off manufacture statements is a genuine crowd delight which is sure to impress.

An interesting original concept, the Jaguar featured turbine engines to recharge the batteries at collosal revs which probably made it sound more like a jet plane than a car.  Initial fears that it would be yet another Jaguar concept car not to make it to production, fortunately, Jaguar announced they would indeed build the car, albeit outsourcing the task to Williams Advanced Engineering (Williams of Formula 1 fame).

Alas, it was not to be and Jaguar pulled the plug to a much disappointed fan base.  Even Ian Callum, Jaguars director of design, thought it was a shame but we’re sure that with Jaguar’s recent [excellent] track record, they had their reasons – most likely to put funding into their forthcoming BMW 3-Series/Audi A4 rival and the recently released F-Type.  However, it is still a possibility that the manufacturing will go ahead and although that would be a surprise announcement, it is not beyond the realms of possibility.

The press release by Jaguar:

Whitley, Coventry, 12 July 2013 -The Jaguar C-X75 is set to make a surprise public dynamic debut today at Goodwood Festival of Speed. The prototype hypercar, one of only five development and test cars in existence,  will make its public dynamic debut in the Michelin Supercar Run today along with a number of exciting new sporting cars from Jaguar: XJR, XFR-S, XKR-S GT and Jaguar Project 7; a unique design study based on the F-TYPE.

The Michelin Supercar hill run takes place twice daily throughout the Festival, starting today at approximately 13.00. The Jaguar C-X75 will only be available be in front of public eyes at these times, and will not be on static display at any other time throughout the Festival weekend.

The C-X75 will make its way from its hidden enclosure to the hill in silent electric-mode before firing up its innovative 1.6-litre, supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder engine on the start line.

Generating a combined electric and petrol-powered total in excess of 850hp, the all-wheel drive C-X75 is likely to set a blistering pace and generate a purposeful sound as it scorches up the narrow, winding 1.1 mile run, thereby making an impressive and unforgettable dynamic first impression on the Goodwood crowds.

Although the decision was taken in 2012 that as a result of the global economic climate the C-X75 would not enter full production, it was clear that it was a powerful showcase for Jaguar’s world-leading expertise in lightweight vehicle construction and the ideal test-bed for the company’s innovative research into high-performance, low-emission powertrains.

The great achievements in the development of C-X75 prototypes – including cutting-edge hybrid technologies, carbon composite materials and advanced design solutions pioneered in association with Williams Advanced Engineering – will be utilised in other areas of research and development, innovative future products and next-generation engineering for the Jaguar and Land Rover brands.

  • The Jaguar C-X75 is a state-of-the-art hybrid supercar with the efficiency of a low-emissions city car. It can emit less than 89g/km of CO2 and has a pure electric vehicle range of 60km.
  • The C-X75 can hit 100mph from standstill in less than six seconds and has a top speed of 220mph.
  • Its 502bhp, 1.6-litre turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine is one of the world’s highest specific power output powerplants at 313bhp per litre.
  • The C-X75’s two electric motors add a further 390bhp, for a combined output in excess of 850bhp.
  • In addition to a range of historic heritage vehicles, also making demonstration hill runs at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed are the Jaguar XJR performance luxury saloon, the Jaguar XFR-S performance saloon; the track-focused (road-legal) Jaguar XKR-S GT and Project 7, Jaguar’s new F-TYPE-based design study which was inspired by Jaguar’s seven Le Mans victories.

Source; Jaguar Cars UK Ltd.