Jaguar defangs a supercar, again…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you may have read in my last Autonews column, India’s Jaguar confirmed it’s taking its C-X75 super car from last year’s Paris auto show from concept to production form.

No doubt. One look at the sleek and exotic super car, seen above, designed to reassert Jaguar in the upper echelon of sports car brands with the likes of Ferrari and Porsche, will more than likely create utterances of “Oh yeah, baby!” from enthusiasts. However, with the announcement the production C-X75 won’t be powered by its most interesting bit of technology—a pair of one-litre Coke bottle-sized micro-turbine engines—only brings back memories of the automaker’s last ill-fated attempts at a super car: the XJ220 from the 1990s.

You may remember the XJ220, seen left. Like the new C-X75, it was a Jaguar like no other in its day: a mid-engine super car concept, first seen at the 1988 British Motor Show, designed to take on the likes of contemporary super cars like the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959.

In concept form, it was powered by a V12 with an estimated 500 hp, and a claimed top speed of 220 mph (350 km/h). Hence the “XJ220” name. Trouble was, the XJ220 was never designed to be put into production. But Jaguar felt compelled anyway. Especially when prospective buyers were more than willing to plop down £50,000 deposits on the XJ220's 1989 price of £361,000.

Unfortunately—and really, to no one's surprise—by the time the production XJ220 arrived in 1992, the V12 was dropped in favour of a turbocharged V6, the car reverted to rear-drive only, and its top speed was downgraded to only 200 mph (320 km/h). Worse yet, the XJ220’s price had jumped to £403,000.

Ouch.

Remarkably, Jaguar managed to find 281 buyers of the neutered super car between 1992 and 1997.

So, is Jaguar going down the same path again with its latest super car concept?

With the C-X75 concept's revolutionary micro-turbine engines not making it to the production cars, do you think it’s still worth the estimated 700,000 to 900,000 British pounds asking price?

 

Comments

[RP]

Was it realistic to expect micro-turbine engines in a production car in the first place?
They set themselves up for failure. I guess they didn't learn the lesson from the XJ220.

[lowering kit]

Great car! “Oh yeah, baby!”. The car is really nice and beautiful. But very expensive.Is it reasonable to spend for this car?

[Desking tool]

In terms of performance, Jaguar envisions future super cars reaching 330 km/h (205 mph) and accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 3.4 seconds and 80 to 145 km/h (50 to 90 mph) in 2.3 seconds. It is powered by four 145 kW (194 hp) electric motors – one for each wheel - which produce 780 hp (582 kW) and a total torque output of 1,600 N·m (1,180 ft·lbf). Inherent in the drivetrain is the ability to independently vector torque to each wheel across the full speed range.

[Supercar]

Great car! “Oh yeah, baby!