In 2010, for Jaguar’s 75th Anniversary, the company stunned the audience at the Paris Motor Show with the awesomely ridiculous C-X75 Concept. And besides the drop-dead gorgeous supercar looks, this car was also at the top of the technological heap. It was the first hybrid hypercar, long before McLaren, Porsche, or Ferrari even entered the game. And many thought this Jag was destined for glory.
The C-X75 would save Jaguar and bring about a new era of brilliant engineering and speed that Jaguar had long since lost. But for a number of reasons, the C-X75 was not meant to be. Partially due to unforeseen global economic issues and partially due to the cost associated with building the new hypercar. In 2012, after showing off a new version of the C-X75, which had an all new drivetrain, Jaguar ultimately cancelled the program. Everyone, including Jaguar, was downtrodden that this glorious piece of machinery would never see the light of day. That said, its story might not be over just yet. Perhaps the C-X75 could arise from the ashes?
A few months ago, filming began on the newest Bond film SPECTRE, and with that start, the producers of the film went about selecting the cars that would be featured in the new movie. Obviously, it’s now ingrained in the public consciousness that Bond must drive a new Aston Martin— but what would the movies villains drive? In the end, the car selected needed to inspire both fear and a level of sophistication that Bond villains are known for. And in a complete stroke of genius — or perhaps someone on the shoot is a petrol head — the producers went into Jaguar’s archives and picked the C-X75.
At its launch, the C-X75 derived its power from a combination of four electric motors— one on each axle — and two diesel micro turbines to recharge those electric power plants. This combined for a total output of around 800 horsepower. Then, after the second year, Jaguar switched the powertrain to a hybrid setup that had roughly the same amount of horsepower, but with a more manageable layout. But for the new Bond flick, Jaguar once again decided that the hybrid motor just wasn’t the right choice for both the car or the film. To fix this, Jaguar went over to an F-Type R Coupe, ripped out the supercharged V8, and slapped it directly into the back of the C-X75.
This little engine switcheroo will make the C-X75 sound absolutely maniacal in the film. However, with this newest engine swap, all the press from the movie, and some interesting comments made by Jaguar Land Rover’s SVO division, it’s got us thinking about the viability of the C-X75 program once again.
Here’s the crux of it. When Jaguar first launched the C-X75, the car was an engineering and reliability nightmare. A hybrid drivetrain that no one had ever worked on and the brand just wasn’t at the same level it is now. With the success of the F-Type, and the new introduction of the XE, Jaguar is definitely on an upwards trajectory. They now have the chance to do something that’s a bit further out of the box, and that should definitely start with the C-X75.
Replacing the hybrid drivetrain for a heavily modified supercharged V8 was a brilliant move. While it forgoes the futuristic hybrid unit that everyone else is doing, it keeps the supercar theatrics. Yet it also brings in a technology that is easily repairable, and easily maintained. Swapping in this engine also cuts down on the R&D work and the tuning Jaguar would need to do to get this car to market. All of the groundwork for building the next iteration of the C-X75 concept is already there in the F-Type.
Jaguar, right now, is on the precipice of returning to greatness. With the F-Type being a massive hit among not only the motor press, but also a hit with everyone’s inner child, Jaguar has the momentum to finally get the C-X75 off the table and into the hands of the public. By pairing down the technological wonder that the original concept was, to a friendlier supercharged V8, the C-X75 has a real possibility to make it into production. Add to that all the upcoming press from the new Bond film, and Jaguar will definitely know that “it’s good to be bad.”
source | BoldRide
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