Jaguar C-X75 Concept Supercar

► 110-km range on one 6-hour charge
 

As electric vehicles (EVs) slowly move into the mainstream of the industry, the same sort of quest to improve performance that was evident with the internal combustion engine cars over the past century is starting. Before long, the notion that an EV is a slow and boring car to drive will be erased as performance levels increase. The utilitarian image (eg only suited for golf course buggies) will also be diminished and it’s quite likely that motorsports may even see EVs taking part.

With the C-X75, Jaguar offers a glimpse of the future of EVs with its new stunning range-extended electric concept supercar which is on display at the Paris Motorshow this week. Apart from celebrating the marque’s 75^th anniversary, it also shows the company’s commitment to producing beautiful, fast cars powered by sustainable means.

“The C-X75 is a tribute to the people who shaped the iconic Jaguars that are revered to this day. By making it an innovative test-bed for the technologies of tomorrow, it also ensures that our reputation for engineering excellence will continue for another 75 years and beyond,” said Mike O’Driscoll, Managing Director, Jaguar Cars.

The C-X75 hints at an exciting evolution of Jaguar's design language while paying homage to some of its most admired cars of years gone by. Advanced design features such as a ground-breaking propulsion system and active aerodynamics allow for an elegantly simple fuselage section that remains stable at very high speeds.

The silver showcar stays true to the long-held Jaguar design philosophy of natural, flowing lines and simple, elegant forms. Inspiration from the past was found in the innovative engineering and functional design elements of cars like the 1950s C-Type and D-Type racers and unique 1966 XJ13 Le Mans prototype.

Shorter and lower than the current crop of supercars, its exterior design is about pure performance with a simple central fuselage surrounded by prominent wheel arches. Thanks to the packaging efficiencies provided by the absence of a conventional piston engine, the car’s designers had maximum freedom in placing the mechanical components and creating the most elegant engineering package available.

This is truly a supercar – with 4-wheel drive and a top speed capability of 330 km/h, and sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. That’s when it’s using all the 780 bhp and 1600 Nm generated by four electric motors (one in each wheel). And it can do that in purely electric (zero tailpipe emissions) mode for 110 kms on a 6-hour domestic plug-in charge. 

With limited range being an issue that deters buyers, Jaguar’s engineers looked for a solution that would address that in a significant way. Their approach – use lightweight micro gas-turbines to very quickly and efficiently recharging the lithium-ion batteries and extend the range to 900 kms (theoretical).

Developed in partnership with Bladon Jets, the miniaturized turbine blade - the first viable axial-flow micro-turbine - increases the compression and efficiency of micro gas-turbines to the point at which they can be viewed as a realistic power source. Each of the micro gas-turbines weighs just 35 kgs and produces 70 kW of power at a constant 80,000 rpm. The energy created by the turbines and stored in the batteries is transmitted to the road through the four independent electric motors. Using individual motors, each of which weighs just 50 kgs, has benefits in terms of weight-saving and distribution, packaging and efficiency.

Because each wheel is driven by its own electric motor, the C-X75 has 4-wheel drive and all the traction, grip and safety benefits that entails without the weight disadvantages of a purely mechanical set-up. Inherent in this drivetrain is the ability to independently vector torque to each wheel across the full speed range. This offers potential benefits in terms of stability and control, creating an infinitely and instantaneously adjustable traction and stability control system.

With the seats fixed, the steering wheel, controls, main binnacle and pedal box all adjust towards the driver. The seats are attached to the bulkhead as in a single-seater racing car, and air to feed the turbines passes smoothly around them via channels in the structure of the body.

A new interface for the driver has also been created for the C-X75 using high-resolution TFT screens. The main driver information screen is housed within the instrument binnacle. Needles float on the periphery of the twin cowls and sweep round the outer edge to display the status and rpm of the two turbines. The design team combined designs from instrumentation in the new XJ saloon with those from fighter aircraft to create virtual 3D ‘gimbals’ around which the gauges wrap and rotate to provide status updates.

Jaguar’s expertise in the use of aluminium stretches back more than 50 years to the first XK120s, followed by the lightweight E-Types, the XK and all-new 2010 XJ. It was with this latter creation that Jaguar fully realized the lightweight metal’s benefits to performance, agility, economy and sustainability in a luxury car.

The C-X75 naturally follows the same construction techniques with an extruded and bonded aerospace-inspired aluminium chassis clad in panels of the same material. Not only does this save weight, crucial in a car with an extreme performance envelope, but aluminium is one of the most easily recyclable metals available, boosting the C-X75’s sustainability as well as its speed. 

Aerodynamics have always played a large part in Jaguar design, becoming an art form as well. For the C-X75, aerodynamic efficiency has been increased dramatically by opening the front grille and brake cooling vents only when necessary. At the rear corners of the car, vertical control surfaces automatically engage at higher speeds to direct airflow aft of the rear wheels for increased stability and efficiency. The carbonfibre rear diffuser, a crucial element in guiding airflow under the car and creating downforce includes an active aerofoil, which is lowered automatically as speed increases. Vanes in the exhaust ports then alter the directional flow of the gases to further increase the effectiveness of the Venturi tunnel.

 Dimensions
Wheelbase : 2725 mm
Overall Length : 4647 mm
Overall width : 2020 mm
Overall Height : 1204 mm
Kerb weight : 1350 kgs                                                               Share this article with friends:

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