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Jaguar has revealed a stunning range-extended electric supercar
concept car. The C-X75 has been designed to celebrate 75 years
of the marque and provide a glimpse into the future of Jaguar
and its commitment to producing beautiful, fast cars powered by
sustainable means. |
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 C-X75 is finished in Jetstream
Silver, its designers staying true to the long-held Jaguar design
philosophy of natural, flowing lines and simple, elegant forms. Where
inspiration from the past was found is 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 – a car described by
Callum as, “arguably the most beautiful Jaguar ever made”.
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.
The 205mph four-wheel drive supercar is
capable of running in purely electric (zero tailpipe emissions) mode for
110km (68 miles) on a six-hour domestic plug-in charge. The innovative,
lightweight micro gas-turbines are also capable of very quickly and
efficiently recharging the Lithium-ion batteries, giving the car a
theoretical range of 560 miles.
This remarkable range-extension system
is a result of Jaguar’s research engineers adopting a clean-sheet
approach to the question of powering the supercars of the future. The
C-X75 turns to the very latest evolution of a pioneering British
technology: the gas turbine.
Developed in partnership with Bladon
Jets, the miniaturised 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 35kg and
produces 70kW of power at a constant 80,000rpm.
The energy created by the turbines and
stored in the batteries is transmitted to the road using four
independent electric motors. Using individual motors has benefits in
terms of weight-saving and distribution, packaging and efficiency. Each
motor weighs just 50kg but produces 145kW (195bhp) of power and an
astonishing combined total torque output of 1600Nm (1180lb ft).
Because each wheel is driven by its own
electric motor, the C-X75 is four-wheel drive – with 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.
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