2010 Jaguar C-X75 Concept

JAGUAR C-X75 CONCEPT FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE ELECTRIC SUPERCAR UNVEILED AT PARIS

• All-new concept supercar to commemorate 75 years of Jaguar cars

• Electric-motors work with micro gas-turbines to produce nearly 800 bhp and almost 1200 lb-ft of torque

• Capable of 560 mile range or 68 miles on electric alone while producing zero emissions.

• Lightweight aluminum construction plus 50 percent recycled metal content utilized.

'Performance through innovation has always been a Jaguar hallmark. From the beginning, cars such as the C-Type and D-Type pioneered aluminum construction, aerodynamic design, racing monocoques and disc brakes. The C-X75 demonstrates that the company is still leading the field in automotive design and technology.'
- Dr Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer, Jaguar Land Rover

The C-X75 concept is both a celebration of 75 years of iconic Jaguar design and a look into the future of automotive technology. Designed as a range-extended electric two-seater supercar, it explores the outer limits of both performance and sustainability. With plug-in capability the car can achieve a zero tailpipe emissions range of 110km (68 miles) – three times round Paris's Péripherique – when running under battery power alone, plus a potential top speed of 330kph (205mph) and blistering acceleration. The car demonstrates that it is possible to retain Jaguar's core values of performance, design and luxury using technology that will make environmentally responsible performance and electric vehicles a practical proposition.

The aim was to produce not only the most innovative but also one of the most beautiful Jaguars ever; one which hints at an exciting evolution of the marque's award-winning 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 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.'
- Mike O'Driscoll, Managing Director, Jaguar Cars

The C-X75's 580kW (778bhp) propulsion system combines powerful 145kW (195bhp) electric motors at each wheel for outstanding performance. At the center of the car sit state-of-the-art, mid-mounted micro gas-turbines. These can either generate 140kW (188bhp) to charge the batteries and extend the range of the car to a remarkable 900km (560 miles) – enough to drive from London to Berlin on a single tank – or when in Track mode provide supplementary power directly to the electric motors. The four electric motors provide torque-vectored, all-wheel drive traction and grip, essential in a car that produces 580kW (778bhp) and 1600Nm (1180lb ft) of torque.

The car's interior is equally impressive, with the driver and passenger seated ahead of a sealed airbox that houses the micro gas-turbines. The seats are fixed 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. With the seats anchored in place, the steering wheel, controls, main binnacle and pedal box all adjust towards the driver.

Dramatic theater lighting is activated as the driver approaches the car; phosphor blue electro-luminescent wire lights illuminate the perimeter of the cabin and the turbines. When the car is started, additional blue LED lighting gently floods the door and bulkhead speaker cavities, highlighting the car's lightweight construction. Bespoke interior materials include cream and grey leathers, polished and vapor-blasted aluminum and a soft-feel textured neoprene.

A new interface for the driver has also been created for the C-X75 using high-resolution TFT screens. Building on Jaguar's 10-year expertise in touchscreen technology, the Jaguar Co-Pilot display in the center console supports the driver in extracting the full potential of the C-X75 by seamlessly managing information.

The C-X75 – At a Glance

DESIGN – A celebration of 75 years of beautiful, fast Jaguars which points the way to a new design language

PERFORMANCE – 0-100kph (62mph) in 3.4 seconds, top speed of 330kph (205mph) and 80-145kph (50-90mph) in just 2.3 seconds

PROPÚLSION SYSTEM – A Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (RE-EV) using a unique combination of electric motors and micro gas-turbines to increase its range to 900km (560 miles)

EMISSIONS – A zero tailpipe emissions range of 110km (68 miles) while running solely on battery power

SÚSTAINABILITY – By capitalizing on its plug-in charge capability the C-X75 will produce just 28 grams of CO2 per kilometer on the EÚ test cycle

CONSTRÚCTION – Jaguar's advanced lightweight aluminum construction techniques provide great weight-saving and economy benefits. Additionally, up to 50 percent of the metal content is recycled

ACTIVE AERODYNAMICS – Drag coefficient of 0.32Cd and active downforce created through the use of an underbody Venturi

THEATER – A dramatic entrance to the car is created by striking electro-luminescent wire lighting which alters to enhance the driving experience

ÚNIQÚE ÚSER INTERFACE – The touchscreen Jaguar Co-Pilot interface manages the information workload by predicting the needs of the driver

BESPOKE MATERIALS – Interior seamlessly blends traditional, hand-tailored leathers with textured neoprene panels and two different aluminum finishes

Jaguar C-X75 Design - At a Glance


FÚTÚRE FOCÚS – The current XF, XK and XJ have already won plaudits for their design and the C-X75 points the way to an evolving future style language

DESIGN-LED SOLÚTIONS – An elegant demonstration of how Jaguar's core values – performance, design, luxury – will be delivered in the future

DESIGN PÚRITY – The simple tubular fuselage exterior shape of the C-X75 has been achieved without sacrificing aerodynamic efficiency

AIRFLOWED INTERIOR – The simple, flowing curves of the interior are inspired by the movement of air to the turbines

DRIVER-FOCÚS – The C-X75 tailors itself perfectly to the driver through an adjustable instrument binnacle, steering wheel and pedal box

INTERIOR THEATER – Únique interior electro-luminescent wire lighting welcomes the driver to the car and alters its output according to driving mode

CABIN TECHNOLOGY – An innovative nano-technology sound system offers active noise-cancelling and an exclusive clock is wound by the acceleration and braking forces of the car

ÚNIQÚE MATERIALS – Bespoke interior materials combining Jaguar-commissioned leathers, metal micromesh panels, soft-feel textured neoprene and a mixture of polished and vapor-blasted aluminum surfaces

75 Years of Jaguar Design
For 75 years, Jaguar has been responsible for some of the most iconic road and racing car designs ever seen. The roll call of names will be familiar to all: XK120, C-Type, D-Type, XJ13, E-Type, XJ220. To that list can now be added the C-X75, which celebrates three-quarters of a century of beautiful, fast Jaguars by being the fastest and perhaps most beautiful concept of them all.

Jaguar has an award-winning portfolio of designs in its current range of XK, XF and XJ models and the C-X75 reinforces the marque's design-led approach to product development. Created under the guidance of Design Director Ian Callum, the concept points the way towards an even more emotive design language which combines beautiful contemporary styling with world-class research and engineering.

Aficionados will identify elements from Jaguars of the past in the C-X75 but the intention was not to look back but forward. The C-X75's designers stayed true to the long-held Jaguar design philosophy of natural, flowing lines and simple, elegant forms. Where inspiration from the past was found was 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, 'possibly the most beautiful Jaguar ever made.'

Just as the XJ13 acted a test-bed for a new engine, the C-X75 offers similarly positive and inspiring potential solutions to the challenges posed by environmental concerns. Performance cars have always aimed for efficiencies in terms of weight, agility and dynamics, all of which also benefit economy. Úsing previously unseen combinations of technology, the C-X75 supercar provides a glimpse into the future of Jaguar and its commitment to producing beautiful, fast cars powered by sustainable means.

PERFORMANCE – 0-100kph (62mph) in 3.4 seconds, a top speed of 330kph (205mph) and 80-145kph (50-90mph) in just 2.3 seconds

EFFICIENCY – Explores the outer limits of Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (RE-EV) technology with CO2 emissions of just 28g/km and a range of 900km (560 miles)

ZERO EMISSIONS – Fully charging the C-X75 from a domestic power supply takes six hours and allows the car to run with zero tailpipe emissions in electric-only mode for 110km (68 miles)

PROPÚLSION SYSTEM – 2 x 70kW (94bhp) micro gas-turbines and the plug-in Lithium-ion batteries provide power to four independent electric motors each rated at 145kW (195bhp) and 400Nm (295lb ft) of torque. These in turn provide drive to all four wheels

CONSTRÚCTION – Úses Jaguar's advanced lightweight aluminum construction techniques. Additionally, up to 50 percent of the metal content is recycled

ACTIVE AERODYNAMICS – An underbody Venturi system incorporates a movable aerofoil and directional control of the exhaust gases to provide maximum downforce without using spoilers

DRIVING POSITION – An electrically adjustable instrument binnacle, steering wheel and pedal box ensures the car is perfectly tailored to the driver

HÚMAN MACHINE INTERFACE – Data from the car's complex systems are shown on three information screens and can be transferred and filtered between displays as needed

Jaguar C-X75 - Innovation
'This evocative showcase of 75 years of performance heritage, the C-X75 also demonstrates Jaguar's commitment to developing cutting-edge engineering solutions to the challenges facing future automotive development. The supercar shows that Jaguar will continue to build beautiful, fast cars that will generate their performance in a sustainable manner.'
- Ian Hoban, Vehicle Line Director, Jaguar Cars

The Jaguar C-X75 is a high-performance demonstration for future technology and innovation. The 330kph (205mph) four-wheel drive supercar is capable of reaching 100kph (62mph) from rest in 3.4 seconds with zero tailpipe emissions during urban use. Even in range-extending mode it emits just 28 grams of CO2 per kilometer thanks to its ultra-efficient micro gas-turbines which provide charge to four 145kW (195bhp) electric motors.

A six-hour plug-in charge of the Lithium-ion batteries allows an electric-only range of 110km (68 miles). However, as a Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (RE-EV), the C-X75 removes the range anxiety that currently hinders the mainstream adoption of electric vehicles. The innovative twin turbines can either charge the car's batteries on-the-fly, allowing the supercar to travel 900km (560 miles) between fill-ups or, in Track mode, automatically provide supplementary power directly to the electric motors to allow the car to top 330kph (205mph).

In creating the C-X75, Jaguar, under the aegis of the Government sponsored Technology Strategy Board (TSB), has worked closely with other British firms, each of which is at the forefront of its field. The TSB is a public body that brings together businesses in a range of programs to drive innovation with an emphasis on sustainability. Jaguar's partners in this project are Bladon Jets, makers of the micro gas-turbines, and SR Drives who supply the switched reluctance generators.

The decision to use technology originally designed for aeronautical applications was an obvious one given both Britain's and Jaguar's heritage in this area. Born in Coventry, a short distance from the site of what would become the Jaguar's historic Browns Lane factory, Sir Frank Whittle is credited with developing the gas-turbine jet engine. It is Whittle's concept that has been refined by supplier Bladon Jets into the compact, efficient powerplant used by Jaguar in the C-X75.

Jaguar itself has an aeronautical heritage, a number of great Jaguars of the past – C-Type, D-Type and E-Type – were shaped by aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer. Aircraft-inspired technology also led to the development of the aluminum spaceframe chassis around which those early Le Mans-winning Jaguars were constructed; the same technique used today in the C-X75.

For the C-X75 Bowers & Wilkins, the supplier of exclusive premium audio systems for Jaguar, has explored future audio technologies to develop a product that delivers unrivalled sound quality while making extremely low power demands.

Advanced aluminum lightweight construction
Jaguar's expertise in the use of aluminum stretches back more than 50 years to the first XK120s, through the lightweight E-Types and pioneering X350 to 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, creating a lead its rivals have yet to close.

The C-X75 naturally follows the same construction techniques with an extruded and bonded aerospace-inspired aluminum chassis clad in panels of the same material, making it significantly lighter than current supercars. Not only does this save weight, crucial in a car with an extreme performance envelope, but aluminum is one of the most easily recyclable metals available, boosting the C-X75's sustainability as well as its speed. As with the current XJ, up to 50 percent of the supercar's structure is made from recycled aluminum.

Active Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics have always played a large part in Jaguar design with legendary designer Malcolm Sayer elevating it into an art form in cars such as the XJ13, the prototype from which the C-X75 draws inspiration.

Today Jaguar is aiming to reduce the drag coefficient of its future models in order to increase fuel efficiency. The C-X75 presented the additional challenge of managing the high volume of air required by the turbines. To achieve this active aerodynamics have been utilized for the first time on a Jaguar.

By opening the front grille and brake cooling vents only when necessary, Jaguar has increased the design's aerodynamic efficiency dramatically. 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 carbon-fiber 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.

Propulsion System
Jaguar has already made a sizeable commitment to developing future generations of cars that minimize their impact on the environment. Jaguar is aiming to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by a quarter over the next five years and as a business £800m is being invested in research into innovative solutions to forthcoming sustainability challenges.

The C-X75 is capable of running in purely electric, zero tailpipe emissions mode for 110km (68 miles) on a six-hour domestic plug-in charge. However, unlike a conventional electric vehicle, the enjoyment of this supercar won't end there. The innovative, lightweight micro gas-turbines are capable of very quickly and efficiently recharging the Lithium-ion batteries, giving the car a theoretical range of 900km (560 miles) and can also automatically provide supplementary power directly to the motors when in Track mode.

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 piece of British technology: the gas turbine.

British engineering firm Bladon Jets achieved a recent breakthrough in producing the multi-stage axial flow compressors – the technology used on all large gas turbines – on a miniaturized scale and to very high tolerances. This increased 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.

Because the exhaust gases form part of the active aerodynamic package, Jaguar has utilized a specialized zirconia-molybdenum coating. This advanced heat-resistant coating is regularly used in Formula One cars and is applied in a plasma spray to the carbon-fiber diffuser to protect it from the exhaust gases.

Turbines offer a number of advantages over a reciprocating piston engine when powering range-extending generators. With fewer moving parts and air bearings, turbines do not need oil lubrication or water-cooling systems, all of which offers considerable weight-saving benefits. They can also be run on a range of fuels including diesel,

Source - Jaguar

JAGUAR C-X75 SCOOPS LOUIS VUITTON AWARD IN PARIS

The Jaguar C-X75 was last night awarded the Louis Vuitton Classic Concept Award 2010 by a panel of luminaries from the worlds of design, fashion and luxury.

Úndoubtedly the star of the 2010 Paris Motor Show, the C-X75 – judged by a Louis Vuitton panel – has once again beaten stiff competition.



Other members of the illustrious group of judges included author Serge Bellu,
Louis Vuitton's Director of Innovation Xavier Dixsaut, McLaren F1 designer
Gordon Murray, former Porsche design head Harm Lagaaij and journalist
Masafumi Suzuki.

Jaguar, like Louis Vuitton, has built its reputation on the key foundations of
luxury, attention to detail and understated elegance.



'It's fantastic for us to be recognised by the world of fashion with this award,' said Ian Callum, Design Director for Jaguar. 'We're at our best when we're breaking the mould - making our cars stand out for all the right reasons.
C-X75 is only a concept supercar, but it's a clear statement of Jaguar's intent to continue creating bold, innovative and beautiful performance cars.'

The entire Jaguar range has been the recipient of numerous plaudits worldwide in recent years with the pinnacle of the revitalised line-up, the XJ, having already won more than 25 major international awards since its launch just over a year ago.

Source - Jaguar