Jaguar claims its forthcoming C-X75 hybrid supercar is more technically advanced than the Bugatti Veyron.
Adrian Hallmark, global brand manager for Jaguar, who was heavily involved in the development of the Veyron believes the car will set a new benchmark for supercars thanks to its technology.
“I actually think more,” Hallmark said when asked if it would be as impressive as the Veyron. “And I’m not being arrogant because I know the project, I actually helped set up Bugatti from a sales, marketing, distribution and strategic planning perspective in my spare time; so I know a lot about the project and the company and the product itself.”
Jaguar C-X75
“The engine is far more challenging than the W16. The gearbox is more sophisticated than the Veyron, definitely. And then when you look at this motor and the battery technology we’ve created, the core classically engineered components are more complicated, then add to in an electric motor and the battery; and bring them all together. So the complexity is way higher and I think what we believe we can achieve, and what we’ve proven in theoretical bench terms, it that it will be an absolute breakthrough in engineering terms.”
The breakthrough technology includes that fact that the electric motor weighs only 25 kg but produces 400 Nm of torque, the battery pack consists of 300 cells and has its own separate air-conditioning keep it cool.
The 1.6 liter petrol engine is both supercharged and turbocharged and reportedly revs to 10,000 rpm and develops 373 kW (500 bhp).
Underlining the push towards hybrids, the C-X75 Jaguar development team will have five prototypes running by the end of the year. “We’re really serious about hybrids, but at the moment customers aren’t. So we’re not going to offer something that no-one asks for. We are highly advanced in our research, I mean we are leading the way with both academic and supplier industries to find alternative powertrains.”
When will the world see the C-X75? My guess is around 2020, if at all. But it certainly looks the part!
