Jaguar takes on the Porsche 918 on the road, if not the track, with its C-X75 hybrid supercar. It's set to take orders this fall, with deliveries beginning in late 2013. The vehicle's name will change, and Jaguar will build just 250 examples at a base price of $1.151 million or more, depending on the market and taxes, based on recent exchange rates.
A 1.6-liter, highly boosted gasoline internal-combustion engine with "not just one simple blower," according to Jaguar-Land Rover engineering director Bob Joyce, combines with two powerful electric motors and four-wheel drive to bring on a sub-3-second 0-60-mph time and sub-6-second 0-100-mph time, plus a top speed of more than 200 mph. All-electric range is up to 31 miles, and Jaguar's estimated CO2 emissions of less than 99 grams per kilometer comes to more than 55.2 mpg.
Will man's thirst for power ever be quenched?
"Where it's going to end up en masse, that's going to take time to find out, but I think it'll be a bit of everything. As far as internal-combustion engines, I think we'll still see V-8s, V-12s, V-6s, whatever they might be. But the jury's out and time will tell... "It's all about efficiency now. If you can get 500, 600, 700 horsepower out of a more efficient engine, then it will happen. When you think that 100 horsepower per liter was once a goal...we're talking 200, 250 horsepower per liter now. That's phenomenal! Man will always want to strive for faster, bigger, better...it's the natural human state." -Ian Callum, Jaguar Design Director
