Space age Jaguar C-X75 supercar becomes a racetrack reality

The C-X75 concept car from 2010 was a hybrid of truly spacey-sounding technologies, including micro-jets to recharge its hybrid batteries. It looked incredible and had a sci-fi tech spec, but in reality it was unbuildable in its concept form. I mean, micro-jets! But now, as this video clearly shows, engineers from Jaguar and Williams F1 have spent the last two years seriously beavering away, and now there’s a C-X75 ready to party with over 850bhp, a double-charged petrol engine and 220mph top speed. No micro-jets, but still dripping in high tech goodness.

This latest Jaguar video – complete with some lovely raucous sideways action – tells us plenty of the Jaguar C-X75’s story, and it’s clear that the best of the best from Jaguar and Williams have come up with a bit of a cracker. Under that dark and dangerous carbon skin is some pretty slick engineering that combines a CO2 output of under 89g/km – beating most hatchbacks – with performance of to-100mph in under seven seconds, and over 220mph at the top. Cleaner than a hatchback but faster than a comet! Can that be possible?

Most interesting the petrol-heads – rather than electric-heads? – is the 1.6-litre, double-charged (turbocharged and supercharged), four-cylinder petrol engine that pumps out an incredible-for-its-size 502bhp, at a heady 10,000rpm. Factor in the two electric motors and high output battery and you’ve got a whopping 850bhp+ and 1000Nm of torque ready to rock. Power goes to all of the C-X75’s gorgeous lightweight wheels.

Indeed, all of the numbers and performance claims for this new hybrid supercar are in the stratosphere, with the highest torque and power density electric motors in production – good for 390bhp alone – and the highest continuously rated power PHEV battery pack in the world. That’s the electro side of things well taken care of then.

On the flip side, the C-X75 can travel for around 40 miles on battery power alone, and with CO2 at well under 100g/km, you’ll pay nowt for road tax and congestion charging. But, it’s when the petrol and electric power combine that the C-X75 will really lift off. The electric motors will start the acceleration charge with their instant torque and throttle response, ready for the petrol engine to do its thing when its on full boost from the turbo and supercharger. This thing will make all manner of gorgeous combustion and boost noises at full chat!

Jaguar haven’t currently confirmed if the C-X75 will make it into full production in this latest form, but they do say that much of what’s under its skin could very well appear in future Jags. Bring it on we say!

By Dan Anslow