Jaguar and Williams F1 Team Up To Produce New C-X75 Supercar

Just the Facts:

• Jaguar C-X75 will be on sale by the end of 2013.
• Jaguar will build 250 units, priced at $1.15 million each.
• A 1.6-liter turbo gas engine combines with two electric motors.
• The C-X75 can go from 0-100 mph in under 6 seconds, with top speed over 200 mph.

LONDON — Jaguar has confirmed that the stunning C-X75 concept car is heading for production. Just 250 will be built at a cost of (£700k) $1.15 million each and the first will be delivered by the end of 2013. The 200-mph supercar will be built in the U.K. in a partnership between Jaguar and the Williams Formula 1 team.

Speaking at the London launch of the project, Jaguar Brand Director Adrian Hallmark said the car, "will redefine the parameters of performance and sustainability." A 1.6-liter turbo gas engine, based on the 2013 Formula 1 regulations, will join forces with two electric motors to create a car capable of zero to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds and zero to 100 mph in less than 6 seconds. It can be driven for more than 30 miles on electric power alone and will have carbon dioxide emissions of less than 99g/km on the European cycle — roughly equivalent to the Toyota Prius of today.

The car will be capable of running in three different modes. As a plug-in hybrid it can be driven in electric mode alone up to 30 miles. If the gas engine is used as a range extender, it can travel more than 300 miles. And for track use, the two power plants can be combined to maximize the performance. Jaguar will offer a "track only" model for committed customers, together with a range of owner events and experiences.

The two electric motors are positioned in the front and rear and power each axle, delivering de facto four-wheel drive. The gasoline engine is likely to drive the rear wheels alone. Jaguar will confirm the respective power outputs of the gas and electric motors when it releases full specifications for the car this September.

The five-year partnership with Williams gives Jaguar access to Formula 1 technology. While the showcar had an aluminum structure, the production reality will have a carbon tub produced by Williams, who will also hone the active aerodynamics and work on the engine and hybrid battery systems. In addition, the C-X75 will have active suspension, a technology that helped Williams claim the driver's and constructors championships back in 1992. But Jag execs were keen to stress that in contrast to the XJ220 supercar, which was developed by TWR, the C-X75 project will be led by an in-house team. This is a Jaguar project, carried out with the assistance of Williams.

Sir Frank Williams attended the launch and expressed his determination to expand his company's appeal beyond Formula 1. Williams also currently supplies flywheel hybrid technology to Porsche. "It is important that Williams diversifies as a company," he said, but claimed he had no desire to become a supercar manufacturer "in the mould of Ron Dennis at McLaren."

The revolutionary gas turbines that were seen on the concept car won't make production, but Hallmark confirmed that the technology will continue to be developed. Jaguar's parent company Tata Motors owns 20 percent of turbine manufacturers Bladon Jets and the technology should be production-ready by the end of the decade.

Hallmark also confirmed that the styling of the car will be almost identical to the concept car and represent "the ultimate expression of Ian Callum's vision for the future shape and design of Jaguar." He suggested that the design will only need to be modified "by a centimeter or two to meet legislative requirements."

The supercar will form part of an aggressive strategy of growth for Jaguar and sister company Land Rover. CEO Carl-Peter Forster is promising "40 new significant product developments" over the next five years and an investment of over £5 billion in research and development. We expect Jaguar to launch a rival to the BMW 3 Series, a new small sports car and a four-wheel-drive luxury crossover.

Forster rejected suggestions that the supercar will divert important resources away from Jaguar's pressing need for new mainstream models. "We can do both," he said. "We are adding the resources we need to manage all our projects. The C-X75 is a true halo project designed to motivate and inspire our engineers and to get people excited about Jaguar," said Forster. "We want to show that we are very much at the cutting edge."

Inside Line says: You might just be looking at the most ambitious and the most exciting hypercar ever built. — Alistair Weaver, European Correspondent