C-X75 - BEAUTIFUL, FAST CAR

In designing the C‑X75, we really wanted to pull the same emotional heartstrings as classic Jaguars such as the D‑type, E‑type and XJ13, writes Julian Thomson, Director of the Jaguar Advanced Design Studio.

While our aim was to build one of the most innovative Jaguars ever, it was also our aim to build one of the most beautiful. For me, this car is as close to a pure art form as any concept car can get.

Normally when you’re designing a 200 mph supercar, you have to accommodate some big V8 or V12 engine, which tends to seriously affect the proportions. The micro‑turbines and electrically‑powered driveline we developed for the C‑X75 allowed us to keep the car as sleek, compact and low as possible.

When you see the car, I hope you’ll agree that the installation of the two turbines is nothing less than art. They’re encased in a sealed compartment beneath a rear window – much like with the XJ13 – and mounted in really beautiful aluminum housings. When you look into the engine bay, we wanted to give the feeling of looking into the intake port of a jet engine.

While the size of the turbines helped us with the proportions, they did give us challenges of a different kind. When they’re spinning at their maximum 80,000 rpm, each one requires a massive 25,000 liters of air per minute. That required extremely large air intakes and some pretty complex air management.

Our solution was to emphasize not only how the air makes its way over the body, but also how it’s channeled into the rear airbox that feeds the turbines. We did this with two beautifully sculpted, sill‑mounted aluminum intakes, with polished inner surfaces to highlight their functionality.

Just looking at the C‑X75, you can imagine the flow of air going over it and being forced into it.

Keeping the car from going airborne at 200 mph also posed a few challenges for us, but we really wanted to avoid ugly wings and spoilers ‑ that is not Jaguar, so we incorporated an underbody venturi tunnel to help generate immense downforce.

Of course, aerodynamics has always played a large part in Jaguar design. Malcolm Sayer, Jaguar’s legendary designer, elevated this into an art form with such cars as the XJ13, the prototype from which the C‑X75 draws a lot of its inspiration.

We couldn’t resist acknowledging one or two design cues from Jaguars past, like the C‑X75’s tailfin; a scaled‑down version of the D‑type’s. In the concept’s fin, we also incorporated a rear‑view camera.

Then there are the fuel fillers on each side of the car behind the doors, which are reminiscent of the twin‑filler system used in the original XJ6 sedan. For the C‑X75, one of the flaps provides access to the fuel tank for the turbines, while the other is for the plug‑in battery charging point.

Designing any supercar from a clean sheet is a unique opportunity for any designer. It’s without a doubt the most exotic type of car you can design and creating a mid‑engined Jaguar supercar is truly a designer’s dream come true.

We believe the C‑X75 is a worthy homage to 75 years of iconic Jaguar design; 75 years of looking forward and 75 years of designs that really do tug at the heartstrings.