-Luigi
There's a lot to the name of the Jaguar C-X75. The C stands for concept, X for experimental, and 75 for Jaguar's 75th anniversary, which the storied British brand is celebrating this year. Too bad they didn't sneak a T in there, for Turbine. Because this compact two-seat sports car debuting at the 2010 Paris show takes a unique approach to propulsion compared to the recent onslaught of eco-friendly supercars.
The highlight of the C-X75's powertrain is a pair of micro-turbines that act as diesel-fed range extenders designed to help keep the car's battery-powered EV motor turning the wheels. According to Jaguar, it's the best of all worlds: the high-end performance enthusiast's desire, but with fuel economy, emissions, and range that even the most frugal compact hybrid would struggle to match. The C-X75 also makes dramatic statements in the style, materials, ergonomics, and vehicle dynamics departments.
Jaguar HQ challenged the C-X75 project team to come up with a unique alternative propulsion approach. There would be no V-8 hybrid like the Porsche 918, or a pure EV like the Mercedes-Benz SLS E-Cell or Audi R8 E-Tron. Although C-X75's approach is similar in scope to the Chevrolet Volt in that the concept can move under electric power alone, it's the range-extending part that's radically different.
Instead of fitting a traditional engine to the car like the Volt does to power a generator to deliver juice to the battery pack, the C-X75's diesel-powered, water-cooled turbines charge the batteries while the car is underway, and unlike the Volt, the turbines can provide power directly to the system to further boost acceleration when needed. The C-X75 is powered by four electric motors, each weighing roughly 110 pounds, which combine to produce a whopping 780 horsepower, along with an amazing 1,179 pound-feet of torque available from the moment you mash the pedal. The micro-turbines, which themselves generate roughly 95 horsepower each, sip from a 16-gallon diesel tank, and Jaguar claims an EV-only range of roughly 68 miles. As with the Volt, the C-X75 can be hooked up to any power supply to charge the battery. Charging times vary depending upon the power supply, but average about 5 hours.
The air that feeds the turbines is sucked in at the door sill level and circulates through an S-shaped, full-height intake chamber. The four electric motors are mounted close to the wheels and are governed by Jaguar's fully integrated traction control, stability control, and torque vectoring. The car borrows suspension components from the XKR. The battery pack, which weighs just north of 400 pounds and has a capacity of 15kW, sits between the C-X75's axles, embedded in the extruded and bonded aluminum chassis. The lithium-ion phosphate energy cells feed the four motors through one single-speed transmission.
Given all that power, Jaguar's estimated performance figures for the car aren't all that surprising, but they are phenomenal nonetheless and on par with the world's fastest production supercars. Jaguar calculates a 0 to 62 mph time of just 3.4 seconds, a top speed of 205 mph, and a quarter mile time of 10.3 seconds. The C-X75 blasts from 0-100 mph in just 5.5-seconds, and 0-200 mph is an equally impressive 17.5 seconds.
The C-X75 rolls on a 107-inch wheelbase, and the car is roughly 183 inches long, 80 inches wide, and 47 inches high. Enhancing the car's appeal are two swan-style doors and 12-spoke alloys wrapped in custom Pirellis that are 21 inches in the front, 22 inches at the rear. The unconventional tread pattern is accented by bright green ribbon, which suggests that with this Jag even the tires are environmentally friendly.
The interior breaks enough rules to surprise. The C-X75's TFT instrument panel features two large round gauges, one center color display, and an additional side monitor -- dubbed wingman -- that displays detail information such as lap times, trip and fuel economy data, and other vehicle diagnostic information. The main dials can switch from Touring mode (road speed/driving range) to V-Max mode (speed gauge/power gauge) to Heritage mode (an analog look similar to a D-Type).
Like the current XJ, the C-X75 has multi-mode instruments and a modern feel in the cabin. In place of traditional Jaguar wood accents are translucent composites. No chrome, but there's a mix of polished and shot-blast aluminum. Traditional leather surfaces have been nixed in favor of a mix of soft ecru and slate hide, complemented by shrink-wrapped neoprene.
Although range anxiety isn't an issue, the car's energy depletion rate depends a lot on driving style, so there are all sorts of information panels outlining energy use. There are three different drive modes to select from: EV, standard, and track. Embedded in the car's space-age front fascia is a Bowers & Wilkins sound system boasting 120 lightweight honeycomb miniature speakers covered by polished micromesh panels. At the moment, they all sound the same under acceleration, but Jaguar says it's developing a set of synthetic soundtracks to stimulate the driving style while alerting cyclists and pedestrians at the same time.
The fastest steady velocity the C-X75 can maintain without doing damage to the car's soft- or hardware is 138 mph (a 180-mph blast could theoretically last for about two minutes). At this speed, the two turbines are spinning at max as all the effort is converted into providing energy and none into recharging. Jaguar says you can cruise all day at 100 mph with one turbine aiding in keeping the power up and the other one charging the battery pack. So, yes, as with any system like this, there are some limitations, but we're guessing most drivers would be willing to live with the tradeoffs.
The C-X75's body, designed by Jaguar head designer Ian Callum and his deputy Julian Thompson, is an absolute stunner. While the front is relatively brand-generic, the rear and side views are striking. Under the hood where the engine would normally go is a theatre-lit blue-and-white polished air chamber dominated by the two jewel-like micro-turbines. There are no wild spoilers but the body sports a drag coefficient of just 0.32.
While still a concept, the C-X75 is a potential turning point in the brand's history as it starts to leap forward under the ownership of India's Tata. It's the kind of car that has what it takes to vault the brand into the alternative propulsion race, and it's done with a large measure of Britishness that the brand has become famous for over the past 75 years. It's a car that gives a new meaning to British Racing Green.
