Busantourism.com: Jaguar to make jet-powered C-X75 concept a reality, Williams F1 Team roped in to help build the Veyron rival!

Thứ Hai, 9 tháng 5, 2011

Jaguar to make jet-powered C-X75 concept a reality, Williams F1 Team roped in to help build the Veyron rival!

The Jaguar C-X75 concept was one of the more beautiful cars we snapped at Paris 2010. Never thought that it would make production then – the centre of the car had micro gas-turbines that generate power to charge the batteries and extend range or provide supplementary power directly to the motors in Track mode.

But dreams do come true, and the C-X75 is going to production, Jaguar has announced. And they will be collaborating with the Williams F1 Team to create a mega priced Veyron rival that will be rather exclusive – they’re planning for a run of only 250 units, priced between £700,000 to £900,000. The car will feature F1 tech in aerodynamics, carbon composite manufacture and hybrid technologies. The C-X75 will have a carbon fibre tub chassis.

Autocar UK reports strong indications that the C-X75 will use a “highly boosted” 1.6-litre engine that is related to the four-cylinder engine Williams will use from 2013, as with all Formula 1 teams (this was announced by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council last December). In addition, the hyper Jag will have will plug-in electric drive motors on both front and rear axles, so some form of torque vectoring AWD is likely.

Not much details on the powertrain for now, but Autocar speculates a figure of up to 1,000 hp combined. Project targets are 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in less than 3 seconds, 0-100 mph (0-160 km/h) in less than 6 seconds and top speed in excess of 200 mph or 320 km/h.

Going to the shops? The C-X75 will have an all-electric range in excess of 50 km and less than 99g/km CO2 emissions, so you can be as green as a Prius if you’re in the mood.

What about the turbine power as per the original concept? Jaguar will also work on that version, which will come later in the programme. It will feature miniature Bladon gas turbine engines, but Autocar says that over 200 of the 250 units will have the turbo four-pot, and not the jet. Jaguar’s parent company Tata has taken a significant stake in Bladon Jets, and will develop this tech as a medium-term aspiration.

Both the ICE engined and the jet powered car will have a 230 kg lithium-ion battery pack. Live pictures from Paris 2010 and the official snaps are after the jump.