If you still lose sleep over the fact that Jaguar never put the breathtaking C-X75 hypercar into full production, you are not alone. It remains one of the greatest “what ifs” in modern automotive history – a car so technologically advanced and incredibly gorgeous that its sudden cancellation in 2012 still stings today.
But if you have been dying to see this mythical beast in the flesh, you might want to start looking at plane tickets to the UK. Thanks to an upcoming automotive festival, the legendary concept could soon step out of the shadows.
The Specs Behind the Myth
To understand why the C-X75 is so revered, you have to look at the absolute insanity of its engineering. Unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, the original concept featured a mind-bending powertrain utilizing diesel-fed micro gas turbines to charge a battery pack that powered four electric motors.
When Jaguar partnered with Williams Advanced Engineering to actually build working prototypes, they ditched the jet turbines for something just as interesting. They engineered a tiny, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that was both supercharged and turbocharged. Paired with high-density electric motors, the hybrid setup produced an earth-shattering combined output of over 850 horsepower. It could sprint from 0 to 100 mph in under six seconds, with a theoretical top speed of 220 mph.
Unfortunately, the global economic recession forced Jaguar to pull the plug on the planned 250-unit production run. Aside from a handful of V8-powered stunt chassis built specifically for the villain Mr. Hinx in the 2015 James Bond film Spectre, the C-X75 was locked away in the archives.
“The One That Got Away”
During a recent “emergency” episode of The Car Podcast, automotive journalist Chris Harris and his co-hosts announced The Great British Jaguar Day. Slated for May 23 at the historic Bicester Motion in Oxfordshire, the event is being billed as the ultimate love letter to the brand, with a goal of gathering 1,000 Jaguars in one place.
The real coverage came from co-host and racer Chris Cooper, who recorded his podcast segment live from the highly secretive halls of Jaguar Classic. While giving listeners a verbal tour of the breathtaking vintage metal sitting around the facility, Cooper peered into a restricted workshop and dropped a massive hint.
“Yeah, there is this thing, the CX75, the one that got away,” Cooper said. “Stunning. That’s unbelievably sort of lovely. So, I’m not allowed. There’s a workshop through here which has got lots of very secret things in it and lots of customers’ lovely cars in it. I’ll just look through the window.”
Jaguar Classic is Bringing the Goods
While seeing the C-X75 locked away in a private workshop is cool, the implication is that it might not stay there for long. According to Cooper, Jaguar Land Rover and Jaguar Classic are fully on board to support the May 23 event with their own private stash of legendary vehicles.
“The lovely people from Jaguar Classic and from JLR themselves have said basically, we’ll bring what we can,” Cooper explained. “So, there’ll be some cars that have never really been seen in public as part of our wonderful day.”
If Jaguar Classic follows through and rolls the 850-horsepower C-X75 out onto the grass at Bicester Motion, it will undoubtedly be the crown jewel of an already massive gathering. It is a rare chance to see exactly what the future of hypercars could have looked like had Jaguar been given the green light.
