Jag’s New Hybrid Super Car

JAGUAR’S Paris Show concept car, the C-X75, is going into production from late 2013. Jaguar promises the shape, size and performance will be hardly altered from the swoon-inducing original. The production run is capped at250-small wonder given the price of at least £800,000.

To achieve it, Williams Grand Prix Engineering has been brought on board to help with the KERS-type hybrid battery and electronics, the all-carbon-fibre structure, and with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine  developing colossal horsepower, using multi­stage turbo/supercharging -the same principles as Fl engines from 2013.

That engine goes shoulder-to-shoulder with front and rear electric motors, giving staggering performance. Jaguar promises 0-60 in a number beginning with 2, and 0-100mph in under six seconds. That’s Veyron territory, but with no need of Veyron power because the car should weigh about the same as a Golf GTI. A 200mph top speed is also promised.

But because it uses a plug-in hybrid system with electric 4WD, when driven through the EU emissions cycle it’ll have a C0₂ number close to a Prius. The all-electric range should be 30 miles.

The petrol engine is the only major alteration from the show car. That had a pair of gas turbines coupled to generators. JLR engineers are researching the turbine, confident they’ll pull it off for future cars. But the 2013 supercar launch is too soon. The chief problem is cold-start emissions, and the engineers say it’s possible that’ll be sorted in time to do a few turbine C-X75 at the end of the 250 run in 2015.

And Jaguar says that some will be of a track-only spec, either for a one-make series or to enter GT racing classes. Or just for very rich people to have aimless but epic fun.

HOW’S IT WORK, THEN?

Wondering how a 1.6 can get to GOmph in under 3,Osecs?Readon…

To get its extraordinary performance and equally uncommon economy (albeit not both at once), the C-X75 production car is a plug-in hybrid like the Porsche 918 Spyder. The engine will be about 4-500bhp, though Jag won’t say exactly how much, but hints that it uses both turbos and supercharging. It drives a generator, and can also drive the wheels directly.

Then there’s an electric motor for the front wheels, and another for the rears. The battery has about half the energy capacity of Nissan Leaf’s, so provides less range, but with Williams’ Fl expertise can charge and discharge much faster to give far nore electric power.

Top Gear