| JCoyle | Jul 26, 2012 07:24 PM |
The Jaguar C-X75's Twincharged Hybrid Motor at 9800rpm
http://static.ibsrv.net/autocomm/Con...75-900x545.jpg The Jaguar C-X75's Twincharged Hybrid Motor at 9800rpm
When the Jaguar C-X75 made its North American debut at the 2010 LA Auto Show, I thought it looked like a cross between the XJ 220 and an alien spacecraft. And while it wasn’t the creation of tea-drinking extraterrestrials with a penchant for fish and chips, the propulsion system was pretty far out.
At that point, the hybrid hypercar sported twin gas-powered turbines which sent electricity to 195hp motors in each of the four wheels. The C-X75’s combination of stunning good looks and whiz-bang, Rube Goldberg-sounding tech made me confident I’d never see this pretty Kitty in the wild. As it turns out, I was only half right.
While the original powertrain concept has been scrapped, the C-X75’s exterior remains unmolested. And while it’s still a hybrid, those sexy lines would make me happy to drive this baby—even if starting it required clubbing a baby seal. Power will now come from a 1.6L, 500hp four-pot, and the rear wheel-mounted electric motors will stay in place. So it's like a Chevy Volt, if the Volt were ferociously powerful and hotter than Kate Beckinsale in a bikini.
Fortunately, all the insanity wasn’t left in the concept. The new mill was developed in partnership with the Williams F1 team and will be twincharged—using both a supercharger and a turbocharger—and rev to a dizzying 10,000rpm. Jaguar says those numbers should translate to a top speed of over 200mph and zero to 60 times in around three seconds. And if the video below is any indication, it'll sound amazing doing it.
[youtube]zN5blCukeWw[/youtube] | 