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Jaguar C-X75 confirmed for production

Over the weekend Jaguar confirmed that it will transform its stunning C-X75 concept car into production reality. The shape will supposedly stay true to form, but sadly the show car's micro-turbines won't make the cut.

Derek Fung
Derek loves nothing more than punching a remote location into a GPS, queuing up some music and heading out on a long drive, so it's a good thing he's in charge of CNET Australia's Car Tech channel.
Derek Fung

Over the weekend Jaguar confirmed that it will transform its stunning C-X75 concept car into production reality. The shape will supposedly stay true to form, but sadly the show car's micro-turbines won't make the cut.

Jaguar C-X75
(Credit: Jaguar)

The concept car that wowed all and sundry at the 2010 Paris Motor Show featured a Chevy Volt-style extended range electric vehicle drivetrain. This meant that the wheels were exclusively driven by a set of electric motors. Those motors are powered by a battery pack and when they begin running low they're recharged via a pair of petrol-powered micro-turbines.

Jaguar C-X75 concept car

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According to Jaguar, the micro-turbine tech isn't quite ready for the big time. It will, however, keep developing it with Bladon Jets, a company partially owned by Jaguar's parent, Tata.

The production C-X75 will instead feature a hybrid drivetrain with two electric motors, a boosted petrol engine and four-wheel drive. Jaguar estimates a zero to 60mph (96km/h) time of under three seconds, zero to 100mph (160km/h) in under six and a top speed over 320km/h.

A lightweight carbon fibre body will help range on electric power alone to be about 50km, as well as restrict CO² output to 99g/km — more than a Toyota Prius, but around the same as the Ford Fiesta Econetic.

Just 250 C-X75s will be built and prices are estimated to start from £700,000 (AU$1.06 million).