The Williams F1 team has announced that it is partnering with Jaguar to launch a limited-edition hybrid supercar of which just 250 models will be made.
Jaguar’s C-X75 concept car, first unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, is to take to the road. It will be what its manufacturer describes as its most advanced model to date and is set to cost between £700,000 and £900,000 – so you’d better start saving up your pocket money right now.
It is set to offer performance “on a par with the fastest production cars on the market, while adopting cutting-edge technology that offers remarkably economical running” – with CO2 emissions of less than 99g per km and a top speed of more than 200mph.
It will be developed in association with Williams using the Grove-based outfit’s motorsport expertise to assist with engineering challenges including aerodynamics, carbon composite manufacture and hybrid technologies.
The supercar’s chassis will be made of carbon-fibre while the micro-turbine technology showcased in the original concept C-X75, and developed for this model, is slated to be an important innovation in Jaguar cars in the future. The car’s internal combustion engine will be boosted with a powerful electric motor at each axle.
Bob Joyce, Group Engineering Director, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “The engine’s compact size allows it to be mounted low in the car for optimum weight distribution and to retain the concept’s stunning silhouette.
“This will make the Jaguar C-X75 a bona fide hybrid supercar capable of silent electric running with an extensive EV range in excess of 50km.”
The car will be developed at Williams’ Grove factory under the supervision of Paul Newsome, who worked on the re-launch of the MINI Cooper, as well as serving as Group Lotus Director of Engineering, developing the Evora range.
Ian Callum, Director of Design for Jaguar Cars, said of the project: “We were always determined that the Jaguar C-X75 would be as striking on the road as it was in concept form.
“This will be the finest looking and most innovative Jaguar ever produced. Even in the world of supercars, we can still produce the most beautiful.”
The two companies say that their collaboration will produce one of the world’s highest performance and environmentally sustainable supercar while creating more than one hundred highly-skilled jobs in the UK.
Williams boss Sir Frank Williams said of the collaboration: “Our new association with Jaguar Land Rover provides us with an exciting opportunity to work with one of the motoring world’s most famous and iconic brands.
“Williams has always considered itself an engineering company and so this project will allow us to combine our technical expertise to create something truly exceptional.”